Novel SnO₂ / Mesoporous Carbon Spheres Composite Anode for Li-ion Batteries

摘要

This work describes the preparation of a novel composite material made of nanosized SnO2 supportedinto ordered mesoporous carbon spheres (SnO2/MCS) through a two-step hydrothermal/impregnationmethod. The morphology, structure and composition of the samples have been characterized by meansof atomic emission spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy andnitrogen-adsorption techniques. The experimental findings suggest that the supported tin oxide species,with loading amounts as high as 30 wt. %, are located and dispersed onto the mesopores of the carbonspheres. Cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic discharge/charge cycling have been used to test theelectrochemical behaviour as anodes in test cells using lithium foils as both the counter and the reference electrodes. The best electrode cycles with a specific capacity in the order of 500 mAh g atC/10 current rate. It also performs well at high rate (1C rate), showing good capacity and excellentcharge-discharge efficiency.