Metal-organic frameworks: Promising materials for enhancing electrochemical properties of nanostructured Zn2SnO4 anode in Li-ion batteries

A MOF material ZIF-8 was used to coat the surface of Zn2SnO4 (ZTO) nanoparticles for the first time and the core/shell structure of ZTO/ZIF-8 nanocomposites were formed. Anode materials composed of ZTO/ZIF-8 nanocomposites exhibited larger charge capacities and good cycling performance, indicating that the thin layer of ZIF-8 on the surface of ZTO nanoparticles was beneficial to improving electrochemical properties. These might be attributed to the fact that the conductivity of electrode material can be greatly increased after the surface of ZTO nanoparticles was coated by ZIF-8. On the other hand, the nanoporous ZIF-8 on the electrodes was in favor of the release of the stress caused by the drastic volume expansion during Li-Sn alloying/de-alloying process, resulting in an obvious improvement of electrochemical property.