Electrochemical performance of pyrolyzed polyacrylonitrile (PAN) based Sn/C composite anode for Li-ion batteries

• Published in: Journal of electroanalytical chemistry (Lausanne, Switzerland) Switzerland), 2012-04, Vol.671, p.67-72
• Main Authors: Chang, Won-Seok, Park, Cheol-Min, Sohn, Hun-Joon
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anode materials; batteries; carbon; electrical conductivity; electrochemistry; electrodes; energy; Li-ion batteries; milling; polyacrylonitrile; Polyacrylonitrile (PAN); Sn/C composite; tin
• ISSN: 1572-6657; 1873-2569
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jelechem.2012.02.024

► Pyrolyzed polyacrylonitrile (PAN) based Sn/C composite as an anode material for Li-ion batteries. ► Preparation of composite via high energy mechanical milling and carbothermal reduction. ► Nano-sized Sn particles were embedded in a pyrolyzed PAN matrix. ► Various sized pores were also confirmed. ► Pyrolyzed Sn/C composite exhibited a superior electrochemical performance. The electrochemical behaviors of pyrolized polyacrylonitrile (PAN) were investigated to be applied as a carbon source in a metal–carbon composite anode in Li-ion batteries. Pyrolized PAN showed a porous structure with a reversible capacity approximately 300mAhg−1. A pyrolyzed PAN based Sn/C composites were synthesized from SnO and PAN using a high energy ball milling followed by carbothermal reduction, and the Sn particles with diameters of 100–200nm were randomly embedded on the carbon matrix. The composite electrode exhibited a relatively large capacity and an excellent cycle behavior. The enhanced electrochemical performances of this composite were attributed to the role as a matrix and porous nature of pyrolyzed PAN which accommodated a large volume expansion of the Sn during the reaction with Li, the increased electrical conductivity of pyrolyzed PAN and the uniformly dispersed nanometer sized Sn that formed during the cycling.