Nanostructured tin dioxide (SnO2) has emerged as a promising anode material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) due to its high theoretical capacity (1494 mA h g-1) and excellent stability. Unfortunately, the rapid capacity fading and poor electrical conductivity of bulk SnO2 material restrict its practical application. Here, SnO2 nanospheres/reduced graphene oxide nanosheets (SRG) are fabricated through in-situ growth of carbon-coated SnO2 using template-based approach. The nanosheet structure with the external layer of about several nanometers thickness can not only accommodate the volume change of Sn lattice during cycling but also enhance the electrical conductivity effectively. Benefited from such design, the SRG composites could deliver an initial discharge capacity of 1212.3 mA h g-1 at 0.1 A g-1, outstanding cycling performance of 1335.6 mA h g-1 after 500 cycles at 1 A g-1, and superior rate capability of 502.1 mA h g-1 at 5 A g-1 after 10 cycles. Finally, it is believed that this method could provide a versatile and effective process to prepare other metal-oxide/reduced graphene oxide (rGO) 2D nanocomposites.
Keywords: anode material; lithium ion battery; naonosheet; reduced graphene oxide; tin oxide.