Reactive molten salt synthesis of natural graphite flakes decorated with SnO2 nanorods as high performance, low cost anode material for lithium ion batteries

• Published in: Journal of alloys and compounds 2019-07, Vol.792, p.1213-1222
• Main Authors: He, Zhen-Kun, Sun, Qiang, Xie, Kaiyu, Lu, Pai, Shi, Zhongning, Kamali, Ali Reza
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anode material; Anodes; Cost effectiveness; Electrochemical analysis; Electrode materials; Electron transfer; Energy storage; Flakes; Graphite; Lithium; Lithium ion battery; Lithium-ion batteries; Low cost; Molten salt; Molten salts; Nanorods; Nanostructure; Natural graphite; Raman spectroscopy; Reaction kinetics; Rechargeable batteries; SnO2 nanorods; Storage systems; Substrates; Sustainable development; System effectiveness; Thermal analysis; Tin dioxide; X-ray diffraction
• ISSN: 0925-8388; 1873-4669
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jallcom.2019.04.022

The fabrication of hybrid materials, such as SnO2-C, applicable in advanced energy storage systems, often suffers from lack of simplicity, scalability, cost effectiveness and/or sustainability. Therefore, the development of simpler and more efficient technologies for the sustainable production of energy materials with decent performance is highly desirable. In the current investigation, a hybrid nanostructured powder comprising of natural graphite flakes decorated with SnO2 single crystalline nanorods (NG-SnO2) was synthesized by a facile, rapid and cost effective one-step molten salt method, and characterized by a variety of techniques including X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, thermal analysis and electron microscopy. A perfect connection was identified between SnO2 nanorods and few-layers graphite on the surface of flakes. This hybrid material exhibited an excellent electrochemical performance as the anode material for Li-ion batteries, delivering a reversible capacity of 495 mAhg−1 after 500 cycles. The few-layered graphite substrate could successfully promote the electron transfer kinetics and also buffers the mechanical stress caused by the lithiation-delithiation of perfectly attached SnO2 nanorods during the battery cycling. The molten salt process discussed here provides a cost-effective and scalable strategy for rapid preparation of the hybrid nanostructured anode material, utilizing the low cost and abundant natural graphite. [Display omitted] •Efficient molten salt method for decoration of natural graphite with SnO2 nanorods.•It is based on the oxidation of molten SnCl2 on the surface of natural graphite.•The SnO2 nano-single crystals anchored on hole-doped few layer graphene flakes.•The nanostructured hybrid material was characterized by various techniques.•Excellent electrochemical performance as anode material for Li-ion batteries.