Fe2O3-TeO2-MoO3 semiconductor glass-ceramics as anode materials for high specific capacity lithium ion batteries

Abstract Oxide glasses have been proven to be used as lithium storage materials in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) because of its special structural advantages. Although it is found that some glass materials have stable cycling performance, its capacity is still relatively low compared to the crystalline materials. In this work, a certain amount of Fe2O3 was added in TeO2-MoO3 (MT) in the glass preparation stage and Fe2O3-TeO2-MoO3 glass-ceramics can be obtained. Fe2O3 nanocrystals are uniformly dispersed in MT glass, which exhibit higher specific capacity and ionic conductivity when used as anode in LIBs. Ex-situ X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were used to analyze the reaction mechanism of the glass-ceramics. Fe2O3 nanocrystals provide more active sites for the insertion of Li+, so that the capacity can be improved. Secondly, Fe2O3 nanocrystals and Fe3+ and Fe2+ in the amorphous matrix together improve the electronic conductivity of the material.