One-Pot Synthesis of SnO2/C Nanocapsules Composites as Anode Materials for Lithium-Ion Batteries

In this work, we demonstrate a facile route for the synthesis of nanostructured SnO2/C composites for lithium-ion batteries. The anode materials were prepared via a one-pot solvothermal approach and then calcination in a highly pure nitrogen atmosphere. The composited was composed of amor- phous carbon and nanocrystalline SnO2 by the X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, and the content of carbon was calculated according to the thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images revealed that the diameter of these as-prepared spheres varied from 50 to 60 nm. A systematic study has been carried out to examine the effect of carbon content upon lithium-ion battery performance. The electrochemical results showed that SnO2/C nanocomposite could achieve 1197.5 mAh/g reversible capacity and 55.11% initial coulombic efficiency, and 190% capacity retention after 50 cycles compared to the SnO2 nanoparticles of 940.6 mAh/g at a current density 0.2 C in the voltage range of 0.01-3.0 V. These improvements can be ascribed to the carbon, which can enhance the conductivity of SnO2, suppress the aggregation of active particles, and increase their structural stability during cycling.