N-doped carbon-coated Tin sulfide/graphene nanocomposite for enhanced lithium storage

Three-Dimensional Nickel Foam-Based Lithiophilic LPP-Ni3S2@Ni Current Collector for Dendrite-Free Lithium Anode

Lithium metal has been treated as one of the most promising anode materials for next-generation rechargeable batteries due to its extremely high theoretical capacity. However, its practical application is hindered by inhomogeneous lithium deposition and uncontrolled dendrite growth. In this work, we prepared a three-dimensional nickel foam (NF)-based current collector with a lithiophilic interface layer through facile hydrothermal and coating methods. The lithiophilic Ni3S2 array synthesized via a hydrothermal method has been demonstrated to facilitate the nucleation of Li+. Moreover, it has been observed that the outer coating comprising LPP effectively enhances the inward diffusion of Li+. Additionally, this interface layer can serve as an isolating barrier between the electrodes and the electrolyte. The prepared LPP-Ni3S2@Ni shows significant reversibility both in symmetric cells (1200 h, 1 mA cm-2) and half-cells (CE: 99.60%, 500 cycles, 1 mA cm-2) with low interfacial resistance (35 Ω). Full cells with LiFePO4 as a cathode also exhibit promising electrochemical performance with over 76.78% capacity retention over 200 cycles at 1 C.

Arc-Discharge In Situ Synthesis of Dual-Carbonaceous-Layer-Coated SnS Nanoparticles with High Lithium-Ion Storage Capacity

SnS-based carbon composites have garnered considerable concentration as prospective anode materials (AMs) for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Nevertheless, most SnS-based carbon composites underwent a two-phase or multistep preparation process and exhibited unsatisfactory LIB performance. In this investigation, we introduce a straightforward and efficient one-step arc-discharge technique for the production of dual-layer carbon-coated tin sulfide nanoparticles (SnS@C). The as-prepared composite is used as an AM for LIBs and delivers a high capacity of 1000.4 mAh g-1 at 1.0 A g-1 after 520 cycles. The SnS@C still maintains a capacity of 476 mAh g-1 after 390 cycles despite a higher current of 5.0 A g-1. The high specific capacity and long life are mainly attributed to a unique dual-carbon layers coating structure. The dual-carbon layers not only could effectively improve electrical conductivity and reduce charge-transfer resistance but also limit the alteration in bulk and self-aggregation of SnS nanoparticles. The SnS@C produced by the arc-discharge technique emerges as a promising applicant for AM in LIBs, and the arc-discharge technique provides an alternative way for synthesizing other transition metal sulfides supported on carbonaceous materials.

SnS@C nanoparticles anchored on graphene oxide as high-performance anode materials for lithium-ion batteries

Tin (II) sulfide (SnS) has been regarded as an attractive anode material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) owing to its high theoretical capacity. However, sulfide undergoes significant volume change during lithiation/delithiation, leading to rapid capacity degradation, which severely hinders its further practical application in lithium-ion batteries. Here, we report a simple and effective method for the synthesis of SnS@C/G composites, where SnS@C nanoparticles are strongly coupled onto the graphene oxide nanosheets through dopamine-derived carbon species. In such a designed architecture, the SnS@C/G composites show various advantages including buffering the volume expansion of Sn, suppressing the coarsening of Sn, and dissolving Li₂S during the cyclic lithiation/delithiation process by graphene oxide and N-doped carbon. As a result, the SnS@C/G composite exhibits outstanding rate performance as an anode material for lithium-ion batteries with a capacity of up to 434 mAh g^-1 at a current density of 5.0 A g^-1 and excellent cycle stability with a capacity retention of 839 mAh g^-1 at 1.0 A g^-1 after 450 cycles.

Ball-Milled Silicon with Amorphous Al2O3/C Hybrid Coating Embedded in Graphene/Graphite Nanosheets with a Boosted Lithium Storage Capability

Electrochemical active silicon has attracted great attention as anodes for lithium-ion batteries owing to a high theoretical capacity of 4200 mA h g^-1. In this work, ball-milled silicon particles with submicron size were strategically modified with a hybrid coating of amorphous alumina and carbon, which simultaneously embedded in a porous framework of in situ exfoliated graphene/graphite nanosheets (GGN). The composite exhibits an enhanced electrochemical performance, including high cycling stability and superior rate capability. An initial discharge capacity of 1294 mA h g^-1 and a reversible charge capacity of 1044 mA h g^-1 at 0.2 A g^-1 can be achieved with a high initial Coulombic efficiency of up to ca. 81%. Additionally, the composite can remain 902 mA h g^-1 after 100 discharge/charge cycles, accounting for a high retention of about 86%. This silicon composite is a promising anode material for high performance lithium-ion batteries with a high energy density, and the facile one-pot fabrication route is low cost and scalable, with a great prospect for practical application.

One-Pot Synthesis of High-Performance Tin Chalcogenides/C Anodes for Li-Ion Batteries

Tin chalcogenides are considered as promising anode materials for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) due to their high theoretical lithium-storage capacity. Herein, we have successfully synthesized the composites of tin chalcogenides and graphite, that is, SnS/C, SnSe/C, and SnS_0.5Se_0.5/C, via a simple one-pot solid-state method. During the electrochemical test, they exhibit excellent lithium-storage ability and cyclic performance as the anode electrodes of LIBs due to the introduction of carbon. In particular, (i) SnS/C displayed a high specific capacity of 875 mAh g^-1 at 0.2 A g^-1 over 200 cycles; (ii) SnSe/C presents 734 mAh g^-1 at 0.2 A g^-1 after 100 cycles, and it delivers 690 mAh g^-1 at 1.0 A g^-1 over 300 cycles; and (iii) the SnS_0.5Se_0.5/C composite electrode delivers a specific capacity of 643 mAh g^-1 at 0.5 A g^-1 over 150 cycles. Furthermore, another series of tin-based composites have also been successfully fabricated (i.e., Sn/C, SnS₂/C, SnSe₂/C, and SnTe/C), showing the general applicability of the synthetic route applied here. Our synthetic approach demonstrates a promising route for the large-scale production of high-performance tin chalcogenides/C anode materials for LIBs and other battery systems (e.g., Na-ion and K-ion batteries).

Design of double-shell TiO2@SnO2 nanotubes via atomic layer deposition for improved lithium storage

TiO₂@Void@SnO₂ nanotubes synthesized by atomic layer deposition (ALD) display high capacity for lithium storage.