Sol-gel synthesised Fe2O3 applying for iron - air battery

Abstract

To find the suitable materials for Fe-air battery cathode, Fe₂O₃ powder was synthesised by the sol-gel method from the precursors Fe(NO₃)3.9H₂O and oxalic acid C₂H₂O₄.2H₂O. The obtained product were α-Fe₂O₃ with free shape nanoparticles determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electronic scan (SEM). The fabricated Fe₂O₃ powder was gone through the electrochemical measurement to evaluate their applicability in the Fe-air batteries. The Cyclic voltammetry (CV) showed that the prepared Fe₂O₃ had sharper redox peaks than those of commercial Fe₂O₃ products, especially their reduction peaks were separated from hydrogen evolution peaks during charging. Acetylene black carbon (AB) used as an electrode additive enhanced the oxidation reaction rate of iron, leading to increase the redox current, thereby improving the cyclability of the Fe2O3/AB electrode. The Fe2O3 nanopowder synthesised by sol-gel method presented the better electrochemical properties than commercial products.