SnS2@reduced graphene oxide nanocomposites as anode materials with high capacity for rechargeable lithium ion batteries

Abstract

Nanostructured electrode materials have been studied extensively with the aim of enhancing lithium ion and electron transport, lowering the stress caused by their volume changes during the charge/discharge processes of electrodes, and decreasing overpotential of the electrode reactions in lithium ion batteries. In this work, we develop a new synthetic route to high capacity “double-sandwich-like” SnS₂-based nanocomposites (i.e., SnS₂-reduced graphene oxide, termed as SSG) which can be used as an anode material in LIBs with improved electrochemical properties, such as large initial discharge capacity (1032 mA h g⁻¹), high reversible discharge capacity (738 mA h g⁻¹, or 1421 mA h cm⁻³ at 2^nd cycle), and excellent cyclability (564 mA h g⁻¹, or 1087 mA h cm⁻³ after 60 cycles, corresponding to ∼76.5% of the initial reversible capacity), with an excellent coulombic efficiency of ∼96.9%. The electrochemical reaction mechanism of SnS₂ with lithium has been suggested to be the alloy-type storage lithium mechanism.