Enhanced lithium storage performance of petaloid SnS2/NC composite anodes via facile hydrothermal and in situ N-doped carbon coating processes

Abstract

Petaloid N-doped carbon coating SnS2 (SnS2/NC) composite is successfully prepared by in situ hydrothermal processes from tin salt and melamine, which is confirmed through XRD, SEM, HRTEM, TG, and XPS methods. The results demonstrate that the SnS2/NC-5 composite material displays a uniform and intact petaloid structure when the optimal coating weight ratio of melamine reaches 5 wt.%. Moreover, the coin cell assembled with the SnS2/NC-5 composite electrode exhibits excellent electrochemical properties, in which the cell retains an outstanding discharge specific capacity of 398.9 mAh g−1 after 50 cycles, a lower charge transfer resistance of about 189.9 Ω, and a superior lithium ions diffusion coefficient of 2.790 × 10−16 cm2 s−1. Therefore, the as-prepared SnS2/NC-5 composite with the unique structural can be considered to be one kind of practicable anode material for lithium-ion batteries.