Constructing Biomass-Based Ultrahigh-Rate Performance SnO_y @C/SiO_x Anode for LIBs via Disproportionation Effect

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Green Chemistry

Background:

• Silica reduction typically requires high-temperature magnesiothermic or aluminothermic methods.
• Developing low-temperature, environmentally friendly silica conversion strategies is crucial for sustainable material production.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a novel, low-temperature strategy for converting silica (SiO2) to silicon oxide (SiOx) using biomass.
• To investigate the electrochemical properties of the resulting SiOx-based composites for energy storage applications.

Main Methods:

• Low-temperature pyrolysis coreduction of tin(II) oxide (SnO2) and rice husk to generate SnO.
• Formation of SnOy @C/SiOx composites utilizing the disproportionation of SnO.
• Electrochemical characterization of the composites as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries.

Main Results:

• Successfully synthesized SnOy @C/SiOx composites with unique structures from rice husk.
• Achieved excellent electrochemical storage capacity (530.8 mAh g-1 at 10 A g-1 after 7500 cycles).
• Demonstrated high discharge capacity in a LiFePO4 ||SnOy -50@C/SiOx full cell (463.7 mAh g-1 after 100 cycles at 0.2 A g-1).

Conclusions:

• The proposed method offers a green, efficient, and high-value route for low-temperature silica reduction, particularly from biomass.
• The synthesized SnOy @C/SiOx composites show significant potential for advanced energy storage applications.
• This work contributes to sustainable material development by avoiding raw material waste and environmental hazards.