Preparation of Fe3O4 with high specific surface area and improved capacitance as a supercapacitor

Here, we report for the first time a facile ultrasonic synthesis of Fe3O4 nanoparticles using FeCl3 and the organic solvent ethanolamine (ETA). The intermediate of the ETA-Fe(II) complex produces Fe3O4 after hydrolysis and hydrothermal treatment. The moderate reduction of ETA and ultrasound play an important role in the synthesis of superfine Fe3O4 particles with a very high specific surface area (165.05 m(2) g(-1)). The Fe3O4 nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM and TEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), and ultraviolet-visible absorption spectroscopy (UV-vis). Fe3O4 as an electrode material was fabricated into a supercapacitor and characterized by cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and galvanostatic charge-discharge measurements. The as-synthesized Fe3O4 exhibits remarkable pseudocapacitive activities including high specific capacitance (207.7 F g(-1) at 0.4 A g(-1)), good rate capability (90.4 F g(-1) at 10 A g(-1)), and excellent cycling stability (retention 100% after 2000 cycles). This novel synthetic route towards Fe3O4 is a convenient and potential way of producing a secondary energy material which is expected to be applicable in the synthesis of other metal oxide nanoparticles.