LAUSR

Hematite nanospindles with a uniform size of ∼270nm in length and ∼90nm in width are prepared using a facile one-step hydrothermal method. Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) serves as a structure-directing agent to control the primary morphology and aggregations. When evaluated as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), the electrode of sodium alginate (SA) binder exhibits a much better electrochemical performance than that with the polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) binder. Remarkably, the electrode using SA binder can deliver a high reversible specific capacity of 979mAh⋅g−1 after 50 cycles and prominent rate capability. The microstructural evolution of the nanospindles after the electrochemical cycling is investigated by scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). Our results may provide important mechanistic insights for the design of nanostructured anode materials for LIBs.