One-Step Synthesis of Carbon-Coated Tin Dioxide Nanoparticles for High Lithium Storage

Abstract

Carbon-coated SnO2 nanoparticles were synthesized by a simple one-pot hydrothermal treatment. During the hydrothermal process, SnO2 was formed by the hydrolysis of tin(II) dichloride dihydrate (SnCl2·2H2O) in alkali solution, while sucrose was used as the carbon source to form the coated polysaccharide shell on the SnO2 nanoparticles. In the obtained carbon-coated SnO2 nanoparticles, SnO2 nanocrystals with a diameter of 4 nm were observed to be homogeneously dispersed in the particles. After calcination, the product exhibited improved lithium storage properties, as compared to pure SnO2 nanoparticles. The carbon-coated SnO2 nanoparticles exhibit 430 mAh g−1 reversible capacities after 100 cycles and an average capacity fading of 0.2% per cycle after the 20th cycle. The good electrochemical performances of the carbon-coated SnO2 nanoparticles indicate that the obtained carbon shell can effectively increase the stability of the active materials and improve the cycling performance of oxide-based anode materials for lithium-ion batteries.