Synthesis and properties of carbon-doped Li 2SnO 3 nanocomposite as cathode material for lithium-ion batteries

Abstract

Tin-based oxides Li 2SnO 3 precursor and carbon-doped Li 2SnO 3 (Li 2SnO 3/C) nanocomposite with good cycle performance for lithium-ion batteries have been synthesized by sol–gel preparation and carbothermic reduction process. Results show that Li 2SnO 3/C is composed of regular rod nanoparticles (20–30 nm) with clear lattice fringes, which exhibit better electrochemical properties than Li 2SnO 3. At a current density of 60 mA g − 1 in the voltage about 0.05–2.0 V, the first discharge–charge capacities of the composite Li 2SnO 3/C are 1671.1 mAh g − 1 and 1558.6 mAh g − 1 while they are 1909.4 mAh g − 1 and 1745.8 mAh g − 1 to Li 2SnO 3. The retain capacity (576.9 mAh g − 1 ) of Li 2SnO 3/C is higher than that of Li 2SnO 3 after 50 cycles.