Facile synthesis of Sb@Sb2O3/reduced graphene oxide composite with superior lithium-storage performance

Sb-based materials have been considered one of the most promising anode electrode materials for lithium-ion batteries, whereas they were commonly synthesized through time-consuming and costly processes. Here, Sb@ Sb2O3/reduced graphene oxide (Sb@ Sb2O3/rGO) composite was successfully synthesized by a facile one-pot chemical method at ambient temperature. Based on the XRD and TGA analysis, the mass fractions of Sb and Sb2O3 in the Sb@ Sb2O3/rGO composite are ca. 34.05% and 26.6%, respectively. When used as an alternative electrode for lithium ion batteries, a high reversible capacity of 790.9 mA center dot h/g could be delivered after 200 cycles with the capacity retention of 93.8% at a current density of 200 mA/g. And a capacity of 260 mA center dot h/g could be maintained even at 2000 mA/g. These excellent electrochemical properties can be attributed to its well-constructed nanostructure. The Sb and Sb2O3 particles with size of 10 nm were tightly anchored on rGO sheets through electronic coupling, which could not only alleviate the stress induced by the volume expansion, suppress the aggregation of Sb and Sb2O3 particles, but also improve the electron transfer ability during cycling.