Fe ₃ O ₄ /carbon coated silicon ternary hybrid composite as supercapacitor electrodes

In this study, Fe ₃ O ₄ /carbon-coated Si ternary hybrid composites were fabricated. A carbon layer was directly formed on the surface of Si by the thermal vapor deposition. The carbon-coating layer not only prevented the contact between Si and reactive electrolyte but also provided anchoring sites for the deposition of Fe ₃ O ₄ . Fe ₃ O ₄ nanoparticles were deposited on the surface of carbon-coated Si by the hydrazine reducing method. The morphology and structure of Fe ₃ O ₄ and carbon layer were characterized via X-ray diffractometry, field emission scanning electron microscopy, field emission transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analyses. These characterizations indicate that a carbon layer was fully coated on the Si particles, and Fe ₃ O ₄ particles were homogeneously deposited on the carbon-coated Si particles. The Fe ₃ O ₄ /carbon-coated Si electrode exhibited enhanced electrochemical performance, attributed to the high conductivity and stability of carbon layer and pseudocapacitive reaction of Fe ₃ O ₄ . The proposed ternary-hybrid composites may be potentially useful for the fabrication of high-performance electrodes.