Because batteries used for advanced electronic devices and electric vehicles have ever increasing demands, there is a crucial need for better battery performance and longevity. Iron was chosen due to its low cost, and Telluride was chosen because it has good conductivity compared to oxides and sulfides. In addition, the collector was replaced with carbon fibers which have good flexibility and good conductivity. Super P, a carbon black, was utilized as another additive because it improves the crystal structure formation of FeTe2. In this study, FeTe2 synthesized on CNFs can be easily obtained by a cost-effective approach through directly electrospinning the mixture solution of Tellurium powder and other precursors, followed by simple carbonization. The FeTe2 nanoparticles are synthesized through in-situ growth and are uniformly dispersed in the fibers with the help of Super P, which efficiently improves the battery’s capacity performance. The CNFs structure provides a highly conductive framework and large surface area, which accelerates electron transportation and the movement of Sodium ions due to shortening the path that the ion needs to travel. Also, the higher flexibility and more stable structure of the carbon fiber can alleviate the expansion of FeTe2 during the constant charge-discharge process. Based on the synergy of the carbon framework, FeTe2, and Super P, the overall performance of battery cells with these free-standing anodes is significantly improved. Through testing, it was determined that the FeTe2-SP@CNFs anode delivers a high initial specific capacity of 433.9 mAh g-1 at 0.1A g-1 and maintains 177.7 mAh g-1 with 96.9% capacity retention after 1000 cycles at 1 A g-1. This demonstrates that these batteries have excellent performance and stability, making FeTe2 a potential choice for sodium-ion batteries in the future.
