Core-shell-structured Mn₂SnO₄@Void@C as a stable anode material for lithium-ion batteries with long cycle life

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Manganese tin oxide (Mn2SnO4) shows high theoretical capacity for lithium-ion batteries.
• Volume expansion and pulverization limit Mn2SnO4's application as an anode material.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a stable and high-performance anode material based on Mn2SnO4.
• To address the challenges of volume expansion and pulverization in Mn2SnO4 anodes.

Main Methods:

• Synthesized Mn2SnO4@Void@C core-shell structure using layer-wise assembly and selective etching.
• Utilized tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) for SiO2 template and resorcinol formaldehyde resin for carbon coating.
• Employed alkali etching to remove the SiO2 template, creating voids within the carbon shell.

Main Results:

• The Mn2SnO4@Void@C structure effectively buffers volume expansion during cycling.
• The porous architecture facilitates ion transport and mitigates volume changes.
• Achieved a specific capacity of 783.1 mA h g-1 at 100 mA g-1 after 150 cycles.
• Maintained 553.3 mA h g-1 at 1000 mA g-1 after 1000 cycles, demonstrating long cycling stability.

Conclusions:

• The Mn2SnO4@Void@C anode material exhibits significantly improved capacity and cycling stability.
• The core-shell structure with voids is crucial for enhancing the electrochemical performance of Mn2SnO4 anodes.
• This strategy offers a promising approach for developing advanced anode materials for lithium-ion batteries.