The challenging problems of SnO2 anode material for lithium ion batteries are the poor electronic conductivity and the low oxygen reutilization due to the irreversibility of Li2O generated in the initial discharge leading to a theoretical initial Coulombic efficiency (ICE) of only 52.4%. Different from these strategies, this work proposes a novel strategy to level up the oxygen reutilization in SnO2 by introducing Co3Sn2 nanoalloys which can release Co atoms to reversibly react with Li2O instead. According to this protocol, multi-yolk-shell SnO2/Co3Sn2@C nanocubes are designed and successfully prepared using hollow CoSn(OH)6 nanocubes as precursors followed a hydrothermal carbon coating and calcination treatment. The unique multi-yolk-shell nanostructure offers adequate breathing space for the volumetric deformation during long-term cycling. Moreover, the removal of Li2O allows a high electronic conductivity and resultant rate performance. As a result, the efficient reutilization of oxygen enables a high ICE of 71.7% and a reversible capacity of 1003 mA h g-1 after 200 cycles at 100 mA g-1. Cyclic voltammetry, cycling performance at different voltage windows, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirm the proposed mechanism. This strategy employing oxygen-poor metals or alloys provides a novel approach to enhance the oxygen reutilization in SnO2 for higher reversibility.
Keywords: Coulombic efficiency; lithium ion batteries; multi-yolk−shell structures; oxygen reutilization; reversible conversion.