Fabrication and application of Fe2O3-decorated carbon nanotube fibers via instantaneous Joule-heating method

Abstract Fe 2 O 3 -decorated carbon nanotube fibers (Fe 2 O 3 /CNT fibers) exhibit synergistic properties and can be used in flexible electrochemical devices. One of the greatest challenges is to synthesize homogeneous Fe 2 O 3 on CNT fibers. In this paper, we have anchored Fe 2 O 3 nanocrystals compactly and uniformly in CNT fibers via the instantaneous Joule-heating method. By regulating the current intensity, iron catalysts in CNT fibers can be directly converted into Fe 2 O 3 nanocrystals. This method can also prepare Fe 2 O 3 particles of different sizes by adjusting the current value. The distinct structure of Fe 2 O 3 /CNT fibers contributed to their excellent electrochemical performance. Because cobaltocene and nickelocene can also be used as catalysts to prepare CNT fibers, this method is expected to be a universal method for the composite of transition metal oxide and CNT fibers.