Synthesis and Characterization of Vanillin‐Templated Fe2O3 Nanoparticles as a Sustainable Anode Material for Li‐Ion Batteries

Conversion-enabled transition metal oxides are mostly charac- terized by environmental benignity, low cost, and high theoretical capacities, which make them suitable as candidate anode materials for Li-ion batteries. To ensure high efficiency and stability, the use of novel and tailored morphologies is recommended. Among the other methods, the use of natural extracts as templates is one of the possible strategies to accomplish this task. In this work, Fe2O3 nanoparticles are synthesized by using vanillin as a soft templating agent, and fully characterized on a morphological, structural and electro- chemical level. Poly(acrylic acid) binder and ethanol for electrode preparation ensure a fully environmentally benign process from synthesis to electrode testing. The cells deliver capacity values up to 700 mAh g1 under prolonged galvano- static cycling at 500 mA g1, as well as excellent rate capability and high efficiency.