Orderly stacked graphene sheets supporting SnO2 nanoparticles as an anode material for lithium-ion batteries with incremental capacity

The large capacity fading and short lifespan of SnO2-based anodes originate from the serious coarsening of Sn nanoparticles caused by structural reorganization of SnO2 during repeated cycling. Herein, a hybrid structure composed of SnO2 supported on orderly stacked graphene sheets (SnO2@OS-rGO) is constructed by freeze casting method to address the above issues. The orderly stacked graphene anchors SnO2 firmly depending on the 7C-7C interactions, thus improves the discharge capacity and cycling stability of SnO2. Besides, the ordered graphene promotes the reaction kinetics of SnO2@OS-rGO by shorten the transmission path of lithium ions. As a result, the obtained SnO2@OS-rGO delivers an unconventional discharge capacity up to 1080 mAh g(-1) at 0.2 A g(-1) for over 500 cycles, which increased by similar to 200% compared with the 1st cycle. The gradually increasing capacity originates from the improvement of the conversion reaction. This study provides a new strategy for developing long cycle stable SnO2 anodes by introducing orderly stacked graphene.

Automated summary

The study introduces a hybrid structure of SnO2@OS-rGO constructed by freeze casting method, where orderly stacked graphene supports SnO2 anodes to enhance discharge capacity and cycling stability. The ordered graphene also improves reaction kinetics by shortening the transmission path of lithium ions.