Enhancing lithium-ion batteries performance via electron-beam irradiation strategies: A case study of graphene aerogels loaded with SnO2 quantum dots

Abstract

Exploring versatile strategies for microstructural evolution and surface modification are of fundamental importance in the development of advanced electrode materials. In this work, we report that electron-beam irradiation is a facile approach to perform surface modification for the ultrathin cross-stacked graphene aerogels loaded with SnO2 quantum dots, resulting in a remarkable modulation on the lithium storage performance. It is found that the as-synthesized SnO2/graphene aerogels composites irradiated at 280 kGy exhibit excellent high reversible lithium storage capacity, good rate capability and cycling stability, which retains a discharge capacity of 703 mAh g−1 after 50 cycles at 0.1 C rate. Microstructure analysis indicates that the enhanced electrochemical properties are mainly attributed to the exfoliation of graphene nanosheets, the increase of amorphization, disorder, defects and the removal of partial oxygen-containing functional groups on the surface of graphene nanosheets. The strategy presented here demonstrates that the electron-beam irradiation is a potential strategy to improve the electrochemical performance of graphene-based metal oxides.