3D interpenetrating cubic mesoporous carbon supported nanosized SnO₂ as an efficient anode for high performance lithium-ion batteries

A facile wet-impregnation process is employed to prepare ultrafine SnO₂ nanoparticles that are confined in three dimensional interpenetrating cubic ordered mesoporous carbon. The nanocomposite that is composed of SnO₂ and ordered mesoporous carbon serves as a promising anode in lithium-ion batteries. Successful confinement and crystallization of SnO₂ nanoparticles are confirmed by a variety of characterization techniques including nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherms, X-ray diffraction, selected area electron diffraction patterns and transmission electron microscopy. The nanocomposite anode delivers an initial reversible capacity of 1093 mA h g⁻¹ with capacity retention of 66 and 57% after 100 and 500 cycles, respectively, and Coulombic efficiency value of over 99%, excluding a few initial cycles at a high current density of 780 mA g⁻¹. The nanocomposite anode exhibits remarkable performance with discharge capacities of 1282 and 947 mA h g⁻¹ after 2nd and 130 cycles, respectively, at a current density of 200 mA g⁻¹. When higher current densities of 1600 and 4000 mA g⁻¹ are employed to the cell, satisfactory reversible capacities of 529 and 228 mA h g⁻¹, respectively, are obtained. The remarkable capacity, rate capability and cycling stability of nanocomposite anode demonstrate its great potential for use in high-performance lithium-ion batteries.