Self-Supporting Sn-Based Carbon Nanofiber Anodes for High-Performance Lithium-Ion Batteries

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Energy Storage

Background:

• Tin (Sn) is a promising anode material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) due to its high theoretical specific capacity and abundance.
• However, Sn anodes suffer from significant volume changes and poor conductivity during cycling, limiting their practical application.
• Developing strategies to overcome these limitations is crucial for advancing battery technology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a self-supporting Sn-based carbon nanofiber anode for high-performance LIBs.
• To address the challenges of volume expansion and low conductivity in Sn anodes.
• To enhance the electrochemical performance and long-term cycling stability of Sn-based anodes.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of self-supporting Sn-based carbon nanofibers by embedding Sn-based nanoparticles within a carbon nanofiber matrix.
• Optimization of the composite structure by adjusting the ratio of polyacrylonitrile to polyvinylpyrrolidone.
• Electrochemical characterization, including cycling performance and capacity retention at various current densities.

Main Results:

• The optimized Sn-SnO₂/CNF-2 anode exhibited excellent electrochemical performance.
• A discharge specific capacity of 607.28 mAh/g was achieved after 100 cycles at 500 mA/g.
• The anode maintained a capacity of 543.78 mAh/g after 200 cycles, demonstrating good long-term cycling stability and structural integrity.

Conclusions:

• The self-supporting Sn-based carbon nanofiber anode effectively mitigates volume expansion and improves conductivity.
• The developed Sn-SnO₂/CNF-2 anode shows significant potential for advanced energy storage applications.
• This work provides a viable pathway for the development of high-performance next-generation batteries.