N-doped amorphous carbon coated Fe3O4/SnO2 coaxial nanofibers were prepared via a facile approach. The core composite nanofibers were first made by electrospinning technology, then the shells were conformally coated using the chemical bath deposition and subsequent carbonization with polydopamine as a carbon source. When applied as a binder-free self-supported anode for lithium ion batteries, the coaxial nanofibers displayed an enhanced electrochemical storage capacity and excellent rate performance. The morphology of the interwoven nanofibers was maintained even after the rate cycle test. The superior electrochemical performance originates in the structural stability of the N-doped amorphous carbon shells formed by carbonizing polydopamine.

Carbon-wrapped Fe3O4 nanoparticle films on nickel foam were simply prepared by a hydrothermal synthesis with sucrose as a precursor of subsequent carbonization. The as-prepared samples were directly used as binder-free anodes for lithium-ion batteries which exhibited enhanced rate performance and excellent cyclability. A reversible capacity of 543 mA h g(-1) was delivered at a current density as high as 10 C after more than 2000 cycles. The superior electrochemical performance can be attributed to the formation of a thin carbon layer which constructs a 3D network structure enwrapping the nanosized Fe3O4 particles. Such an architecture can facilitate the electron transfer and accommodate the volume change of the active materials during discharge/charge cycling.

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Manganese oxide is a highly promising anode material of lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs) for its low insertion voltage and high reversible capacity. Porous MnO microspheres are prepared by a facile method in this work. As an anode material of LIB, it can deliver a high reversible capacity up to 1234.2 mA h g−1 after 300 cycles at 0.2 C, and a capacity of 690.0 mA h g−1 in the 500th cycle at 2 C. The capacity increase with cycling can be attributed to the growth of reversible polymer/gel‐like film, and the better cycling stability and the superior rate performance can be attributed to the featured structure of the microspheres composed of nanoparticles with a short transport path for lithium ions, a large specific surface, and material/electrolyte contact area. The results suggest that the porous MnO microspheres can function as a promising anode material for high‐performance LIBs.

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