Kourosh Motevallia - Chemistry Department, Islamic Azad University South Tehran Branch, Tehran, Iran
Zahra Yaghoubib - Industrial Engineering Faculty, Islamic Azad University South Tehran Branch, Tehran, Iran

In this research, an electrospinning technique was used to fabricate ZrO2 nanofibers for applying as binder-free electrodes for lithium-ion batteries. The electrospun nanofibers were calcined at 044–00444o C and characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). SEM and TEM images showed that the fibers have an average diameter of ~044 nm and are composed of nanocrystallites and grains, which grow in size as the calcination temperature increases. The electrochemical properties of the nanofibers were evaluated using galvanostatic cycling and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Zirconia nanofibers calcined at 044o C showed higher electronic conductivity, higher discharge capacity, and better cycling performance than the nanofibers calcined at 044, 244, and 00444o C. Zirconia initial reversible capacity of 523 mAh.g−0 approaching their theoretical value at 4.0 C rate and over 013mAh.g−0 at 4.5 C rate with limited capacity fading and Coulombic efficiency between 30 and 0441.

nanofibers, electrochemical properties, Zirconia, electrospinning technique, lithium-ion batteries