Electrical and electrochemical studies of nanocrystalline mesoporous MgFe2O4 as anode material for lithium battery applications

Nanocrystalline mesoporous spinel magnesium ferrite (MgFe2O4) particles with high surface area were prepared by urea assisted modified citrate combustion process. The prepared sample was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, field-emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), BET surface area analyzer and impedance spectroscopy techniques. XRD results confirmed the formation of a single phase of nanocrystalline spinel magnesium ferrite sample. FTIR and Raman spectroscopy (FTIR) results confirmed the structural co-ordination of the magnesium ferrite sample. The spherical shape morphology of the prepared magnesium ferrite particles was confirmed from the FE-SEM images. Specific surface area and porosity of the MgFe2O4 sample were obtained from N2 adsorption–desorption isotherms results. The D.C. and A.C. electrical conductivities of the MgFe2O4 sample as a function of temperature and frequency were investigated by analyzing the measured impedance data. The activation energy for the migration of the carriers in the MgFe2O4 sample was found to be 0.607 eV. The dielectric studies revealed that the dielectric constant of the mesoporous MgFe2O4 sample increases with increase in temperature. Further, lithium battery was fabricated using the developed nanocrystalline mesoporous spinel MgFe2O4 as anode material and investigated its electrochemical performance. The charge-discharge studies revealed that the fabricated lithium battery using the developed nanocrystalline mesoporous MgFe2O4 as anode exhibited high capacity and good cycleability in the voltage range 0.005–3 V. The results show that the developed nanocrystalline mesoporous spinel magnesium ferrite could be a better anode material for lithium battery applications.