SnO2 is deemed a potential candidate for high energy density (1494 mAh g-1) anode materials for Li-ion batteries (LIBs). However, its severe volume variation and low intrinsic electrical conductivity result in poor long-term stability and reversibility, limiting the further development of such materials. Therefore, we propose a novel strategy, that is, to prepare SnO2 hollow nanospheres (SnO2-HNPs) by a template method, and then introduce these SnO2-HNPs into one-dimensional (1D) carbon nanofibers (CNFs) uniformly via electrospinning technology. Such a sugar gourd-like construction effectively addresses the limitations of traditional SnO2 during the charging and discharging processes of LIBs. As a result, the optimized product (denoted SnO2-HNP/CNF), a binder-free integrated electrode for half and full LIBs, displays superior electrochemical performance as an anode material, including high reversible capacity (~735.1 mAh g-1 for half LIBs and ~455.3 mAh g-1 at 0.1 A g-1 for full LIBs) and favorable long-term cycling stability. This work confirms that sugar gourd-like SnO2-HNP/CNF flexible integrated electrodes prepared with this novel strategy can effectively improve battery performance, providing infinite possibilities for the design and development of flexible wearable battery equipment.
Keywords: Li-ion batteries; SnO2; carbon nanofibers; flexible; integrated anode.