Facile CuFeO2 microcrystal synthesis for lithium ion battery anodes via microwave heating

This paper reports a facile synthetic method to synthesize delafossite CuFeO2 for the use of lithium ion battery (LIB) anodes. We obtained 0.7–2.5 μm CuFeO2 microcrystals with rhombohedral morphology by microwave heating, with a significantly reduced heating time compared to creating the crystals using solid-state reaction or hydrothermal methods. The resultant CuFeO2 electrode exhibits enhanced battery performance with high reversible capacity of 555 mAhg−1 at 0.2 C after 200 cycles than the performances of the previous CuFeO2-based electrodes. Thus, CuFeO2 microcrystals prepared via the proposed method offer a practical alternative for lithium ion battery anodes.