Abstract
A high-performance anode material was prepared from a hierarchically structured activated carbon which contains in situ graphene and nano-graphite. The activated carbon was immersed in a solution of SnCl 2· 2H 2O and subjected to ultrasound. As a result, nanoparticles of SnO 2 were uniformly deposited on the surface of the activated carbon. The composite material was then coated with a thin layer of carbon by soaking it in a sucrose solution, followed by carbonization of the adsorbed sucrose at 500 °C. The resulting composite showed an outstanding high-rate cycling performance that can deliver an initial discharge capacity of 1417 mAh g -1 and maintain a discharge capacity of more than 400 mAh g -1 after 100 cycles at a high current density of 1000 mA g -1. This outstanding electrochemical performance is likely to be related to a unique combination of the excellent electrical conductivity of the activated carbon with graphite layers formed inside, its hierarchical pore structure which enhances lithium-ion transportation, and the carbon coating which alleviates the effects of volume changes, shortens the distance for Li + diffusion, facilitates the transmission of electrons, and keeps the structure stable. © 2012 The Royal Society of Chemistry.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 2766-2773 |
| Journal | Journal of Materials Chemistry |
| Volume | 22 |
| Issue number | 6 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 14 Feb 2012 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Bibliographical note
Publication details (e.g. title, author(s), publication statuses and dates) are captured on an “AS IS” and “AS AVAILABLE” basis at the time of record harvesting from the data source. Suggestions for further amendments or supplementary information can be sent to <a href="mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a>.Funding
The authors gratefully acknowledge financial support for this research from the Morgan Crucible Company, the National Science Foundation of China (Nos. 50772067, 51072117, 51171110), National Basic Research Program of China (973 Program) (No. 2010CB619600), Shanghai Science and Technology Committee (No. 10JC1407600) and Shanghai Jiao Tong University Innovation Fund For Postgraduates. We also thank the Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) Instrument Analysis Center for the measurements.
