AUTHOR=Yao Jinhuan , Yan Jing , Huang Yu , Li Yanwei , Xiao Shunhua , Xiao Jianrong TITLE=Preparation of ZnFe2O4/α-Fe2O3 Nanocomposites From Sulfuric Acid Leaching Liquor of Jarosite Residue and Their Application in Lithium-Ion Batteries JOURNAL=Frontiers in Chemistry VOLUME=6 YEAR=2018 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/chemistry/articles/10.3389/fchem.2018.00442 DOI=10.3389/fchem.2018.00442 ISSN=2296-2646 ABSTRACT=

Recycling Zn and Fe from jarosite residue to produce high value-added products is of great importance to the healthy and sustainable development of zinc industry. In this work, we reported the preparation of ZnFe₂O₄/α-Fe₂O₃ nanocomposites from the leaching liquor of jarosite residue by a facile chemical coprecipitation method followed by heat treatment at 800°C in air. The microstructure of the as-prepared ZnFe₂O₄/α-Fe₂O₃ nanocomposites were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Mössbauer spectroscopy, scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectrum (XPS). The results demonstrated that the ZnFe₂O₄/α-Fe₂O₃ composites are composed of interconnected ZnFe₂O₄ and α-Fe₂O₃ nanocrystals with sizes in the range of 20–40 nm. When evaluated as anode material for Li-ion batteries, the ZnFe₂O₄/α-Fe₂O₃ nanocomposites exhibits high lithium storage activity, superior cyclic stability, and good high rate capability. Cyclic voltammetry analysis reveals that surface pseudocapacitive lithium storage has a significant contribution to the total stored charge of the ZnFe₂O₄/α-Fe₂O₃, which accounts for the enhanced lithium storage performance during cycling. The synthesis of ZnFe₂O₄/α-Fe₂O₃ nanocomposites from the leaching liquor of jarosite residue and its successful application in lithium-ion batteries open up new avenues in the fields of healthy and sustainable development of industries.