Synthesis and electrochemical characteristics of NASICON-structured LiSn2(PO4)3 anode material for lithium-ion batteries

Li3PO4, with a Li ion conductivity of 8.62 x 10-(8) S cm(-2), is considered as a matrix material in this study to improve the cyclability of tin anodes. Toward this goal, a well-crystallized NASICON-structured LiSn2(PO4)(3) using nano-SnO2 as a precursor has been prepared at 900 degrees C using a solid-state reaction. Compared to SnO2, this material exhibits better cycling performance, with a capacity of 320 mAh g(-1) after 50 cycles. Additionally, the insertion/extraction mechanism of LiSn2(PO4)(3) is investigated through ex-situ X-ray diffraction (XRD) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements. The apparent diffusion coefficient (D-Li) is studied using cyclic voltammetry (CV) experiments employing a powder microelectrode. In addition, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) measurements are employed to investigate the thermal stability of LiSn2(PO4)(3). (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.