Sol-gel and hard template assisted synthesis of 3D nanostructured SnO2 electrodes

Self-standing tubular-like structures of nano-crystalline SnO2 with controlled diameter and length (200 nm x 10 microm) have been synthesized by sol-gel process in combination with a hard template. Different textures can be easily achieved-from hollow tubes to quasi-solid rods-by simply tuning the initial concentration of the precursor oxide gel and the dipping time of the template. Moreover, these self-supported SnO2 structures have been turned into 3D nanostructured electrodes directly fabricated on copper substrates. The enhanced electrochemical properties of these hierarchical nano-architectures are promising for applications in Li-ion batteries negative electrodes.