Dual Carbon-Confined SnO2 Hollow Nanospheres Enabling High Performance for the Reversible Storage of Alkali Metal Ions

Block Copolymer-Directed Facile Synthesis of N-Doped Mesoporous Graphitic Carbon for Reliable, High-Performance Zn Ion Hybrid Supercapacitor

Ordered mesoporous carbons (OMCs) are promising materials for cathode materials of a Zn ion hybrid capacitor (Zn HC) due to their high surface area and interconnected porous structure. Graphitization of the framework and nitrogen doping have been used to improve the energy storage performance of the OMCs by enhancing electrical conductivity, pseudocapacitive reaction sites, and surface affinity toward aqueous electrolytes. Thus, when both methods are simultaneously implemented to the OMCs, the Zn HC would have improved energy storage performance. Herein, we introduce a facile synthetic method for N-doped mesoporous graphitic carbon (N-mgc) by utilizing polystyrene-block-poly(2-vinlypyridine) copolymer (PS-b-P2VP) as both soft-template and carbon/nitrogen sources. Co-assembly of PS-b-P2VP with Ni precursors for graphitization formed a mesostructured composite, which was converted to N-doped graphitic carbon through catalytic pyrolysis. After selective removal of Ni, N-mgc was prepared. The obtained N-mgc exhibited interconnected mesoporous structure with high nitrogen content and high surface area. When N-mgc was employed as a cathode material in Zn ion HC, excellent energy storage performance was achieved: a high specific capacitance (43 F/g at 0.2 A/g), a high energy density of 19.4 Wh/kg at a power density of 180 W/kg, and reliable cycle stability (>3000 cycles).

Electrolyte-Wettability Issues and Challenges of Electrode Materials in Electrochemical Energy Storage, Energy Conversion, and Beyond

The electrolyte-wettability of electrode materials in liquid electrolytes plays a crucial role in electrochemical energy storage, conversion systems, and beyond relied on interface electrochemical process. However, most electrode materials do not have satisfactory electrolyte-wettability for possibly electrochemical reaction. In the last 30 years, there are a lot of literature have directed at exploiting methods to improve electrolyte-wettability of electrodes, understanding basic electrolyte-wettability mechanisms of electrode materials, exploring the effect of electrolyte-wettability on its electrochemical energy storage, conversion, and beyond performance. This review systematically and comprehensively evaluates the effect of electrolyte-wettability on electrochemical energy storage performance of the electrode materials used in supercapacitors, metal ion batteries, and metal-based batteries, electrochemical energy conversion performance of the electrode materials used in fuel cells and electrochemical water splitting systems, as well as capacitive deionization performance of the electrode materials used in capacitive deionization systems. Finally, the challenges in approaches for improving electrolyte-wettability of electrode materials, characterization techniques of electrolyte-wettability, as well as electrolyte-wettability of electrode materials applied in special environment and other electrochemical systems with electrodes and liquid electrolytes, which gives future possible directions for constructing interesting electrolyte-wettability to meet the demand of high electrochemical performance, are also discussed.

Diverse-shaped tin dioxide nanoparticles within a plastic waste-derived three-dimensional porous carbon framework for super stable lithium-ion storage

Tin dioxides (SnO₂) inserted into carbons to serve as anodes for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries are known to improve their cycling stability. However, studies on diverse-shaped SnO₂ nanoparticles within a porous carbon matrix for super stable lithium-ion storage are rare. Herein, a hollow carbon sphere/porous carbon flake (HCS/PCF) framework is fabricated through template carbonization of plastic waste. By changing the doping mechanism and tuning the loading content, nano SnO₂ spheres and cubes as well as bulk SnO₂ flakes and blocks are in-situ grown within the HCS/PCF. Then, the as-prepared hybrids with built-in various morphological SnO₂ nanoparticles serve as anodes towards advanced lithium-ion batteries. Notably, HCS/PCF embedded with nano SnO₂ spheres and cubes anodes possess superb long-term cycling stability (~0.048% and ~0.05% average capacitance decay per cycle at 1 A/g over 400 cycles) with high reversible specific capacities of 0.45 and 0.498 Ah/g after 1000 cycles at 5 A/g. The ultra-stabilized Li⁺ storage is attributed to the effective mitigation of nano SnO₂ spheres/cubes volume expansion, originating from the compact SnO₂ yolk-HCS/PCF shell construction. This study paves a general strategy for disposing of polymeric waste to produce SnO₂ core-carbon shell anodes for super stable lithium-ion storage.

Regulated Electrodeposition of Na Metal in Monolithic ZIF-Pillared Graphene Anodes

Sodium (Na) metal batteries receive increasing attention because of their high energy densities and low costs that are enabled by the abundant Na resources. However, dendritic growth and low efficiency of Na-metal anodes limit the practical applications of Na-metal batteries. Here, we propose a three-dimensionally pillared structure in which carbonized nanoparticles of zeolite imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) are sandwiched between reduced graphene oxide (rGO) sheets (ZIF-8-C@rGO). Such a pillared structure enables two advantages over rGO. First, the sodiation products of ZIF-8 (NaZn₁₃, Na₂O, and N-doped carbon) have a strong chemical affinity to Na metal, thereby inducing favorable nucleation of Na metal to guide Na deposition. Second, the pillared structure could facilitate the diffusion of Na ions through rGO sheets and help homogenize the current distribution, leading to a uniform deposition of Na metal. As a result, ZIF-8-C@rGO exhibits a dendrite-free morphology during Na plating/stripping and excellent cycling stability with high Coulombic efficiency of over 99.8% for at least 2000 h. A symmetric cell could maintain more than 4000 h with a stable average overpotential of only 30 mV at a capacity of 1 mA h cm^-2. This work demonstrates that the design of a ZIF-pillared structure could combine thermodynamic and kinetic regulating factors to offer an alternative solution to the development of durable Na electrodes for high-performance Na-metal batteries.

Growth Mechanism of Micro/Nano Metal Dendrites and Cumulative Strategies for Countering Its Impacts in Metal Ion Batteries: A Review

Metal-ion batteries are capable of delivering high energy density with a longer lifespan. However, they are subject to several issues limiting their utilization. One critical impediment is the budding and extension of solid protuberances on the anodic surface, which hinders the cell functionalities. These protuberances expand continuously during the cyclic processes, extending through the separator sheath and leading to electrical shorting. The progression of a protrusion relies on a number of in situ and ex situ factors that can be evaluated theoretically through modeling or via laboratory experimentation. However, it is essential to identify the dynamics and mechanism of protrusion outgrowth. This review article explores recent advances in alleviating metal dendrites in battery systems, specifically alkali metals. In detail, we address the challenges associated with battery breakdown, including the underlying mechanism of dendrite generation and swelling. We discuss the feasible solutions to mitigate the dendrites, as well as their pros and cons, highlighting future research directions. It is of great importance to analyze dendrite suppression within a pragmatic framework with synergy in order to discover a unique solution to ensure the viability of present (Li) and future-generation batteries (Na and K) for commercial use.

Synergistic Engineering of Defects and Heterostructures Enhance Lithium/Sodium Storage Properties of F-SnO2-x -SnS2-x Nanocrystals Supported on N,S-Graphene

Phase engineering of the electrode materials in terms of designing heterostructures, introducing heteroatom and defects, improves great prospects in accelerating the charge storage kinetics during the repeated Li⁺ /Na⁺ insertion/deintercalation. Herein, a new design of Li/Na-ion battery anodes through phase regulating is reported consisting of F-doped SnO₂ -SnS₂ heterostructure nanocrystals with oxygen/sulfur vacancies (V_O /V_S ) anchored on a 2D sulfur/nitrogen-doped reduced graphene oxide matrix (F-SnO_2-x -SnS_2-x @N/S-RGO). Consequently, the F-SnO_2-x -SnS_2-x @N/S-RGO anode demonstrates superb high reversible capacity and long-term cycling stability. Moreover, it exhibits excellent great rate capability with 589 mAh g^-1 for Li⁺ and 296 mAh g^-1 at 5 A g^-1 for Na⁺ . The enhanced Li/Na storage properties of the nanocomposites are not only attributed to the increase in conductivity caused by V_O /V_S and F doping (confirmed by DFT calculations) to accelerate their charge-transfer kinetics but also the increased interaction between F-SnO_2-x -SnS_2-x and Li/Na through heterostructure. Meanwhile, the hierarchical F-SnO_2-x -SnS_2-x @N/S-RGO network structure enables fast infiltration of electrolyte and improves electron/ion transportation in the electrode, and the corrosion resistance of F doping contributes to prolonged cycle stability.

Robust hetero-MoO3/MoO2@N-doped carbon nanobelts decorated with oxygen deficiencies as high-performance anodes for potassium/sodium storage

Hetero-MoO₃/MoO₂@N-doped carbon nanobelt anodes (h-MoO₃/MoO₂@NC) with long lifespan and superior rate capability were proposed by a simple in situ reduction tactic, in which pristine MoO₃ was transformed into heterogeneous MoO₃/MoO₂. The hetero-MoO₃/MoO₂ architecture significantly improves the electronic conductivity and affords abundant oxygen deficiencies. Meanwhile, the synergistic effect of internal MoO₃/MoO₂ heterostructure and outer N-doped carbon layer (NC) accomplishes a balance of sustainable potassium/sodium storage and ultra-durable structure stability. In potassium ion batteries, the anodes steadily maintain a reversible capacity of 283 mAh g^-1 after 6000 cycles at 0.5 A g^-1 and 153 mAh g^-1 after 1000 cycles under 2 A g^-1, as well as an impressive rate capability of 131 mAh g^-1 at 3 A g^-1. In sodium ion batteries, the anodes purchase a steady capacity of 152 mAh g^-1 even after 10,000 cycles at 2 A g^-1, and 190 mAh g^-1 after 5000 cycles at 0.5 A g^-1. Moreover, the h-MoO₃/MoO₂@NC composite possesses a prominent pseudocapacitive effect and good thermal adaptability (-10 to 50 °C) in both KIBs and SIBs. The results indicate that the h-MoO₃/MoO₂@NC composite would be an auspicious material for potassium/sodium storage and other ion batteries.

Engineering SnO2 nanorods/ethylenediamine-modified graphene heterojunctions with selective adsorption and electronic structure modulation for ultrasensitive room-temperature NO2 detection

Ever-increasing concerns over air quality and the newly emerged internet of things (IoT) for future environmental monitoring are stimulating the development of ultrasensitive room-temperature gas sensors, especially for nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), one of the most harmful air pollution species released round-the-clock from power plants and vehicle exhausts. Herein, tin dioxide nanorods/ethylenediamine-modified reduced graphene oxide (SnO₂/EDA-rGO) heterojunctions with selective adsorption and electronic structure modulation were engineered for highly sensitive and selective detection of NO₂ at room temperature. The modified EDA groups not only enable selective adsorption to significantly enrich NO₂ molecules around the interface but also realize a favorable modulation of SnO₂/EDA-rGO electronic structure by increasing the Fermi level of rGO, through which the sensing performance of NO₂ is synergistically enhanced. The response of the SnO₂/EDA-rGO sensor toward 1 ppm NO₂ reaches 282%, which exceeds the corresponding SnO₂/rGO sensor by a factor of 2.8. It also exhibits a low detection limit down to 100 ppb, enhanced selectivity, and rapid response/recovery kinetics. This approach to designing a novel heterojunction with significantly enhanced chemical and electric effects may shed light on the future engineering of gas-sensing materials.

Two-dimensional SnO2 anchored biomass-derived carbon nanosheet anode for high-performance Li-ion capacitors

Lithium-ion capacitors (LICs) combine the advantages of both batteries and supercapacitors; they have attracted intensive attention among energy conversion and storage fields, and one of the key points of their research is the exploration of suitable battery-type electrode materials. Herein, a simple and low-cost strategy is proposed, in which SnO2 particles are anchored on the conductive porous carbon nano-sheets (PCN) derived from coffee grounds. This method can inhibit the grain coarsening of Sn and the volume change of SnO2 effectively, thus improving the electrochemical reversibility of the materials. In the lithium half cell (0-3.0 V vs. Li/Li+), the as-prepared SnO2/PCN electrode yields a reversible capacity of 799 mA h g-1 at 0.1 A g-1 and decent long-term cyclability of 313 mA h g-1 at 1 A g-1 after 500 cycles. The excellent Li+ storage performance of SnO2/PCN is beneficial from the hierarchical structure as well as the robust carbonaceous buffer layer. Besides, a LIC hybrid device with the as-prepared SnO2/PCN anode exhibits outstanding energy and power density of 138 W h kg-1 and 53 kW kg-1 at a voltage window of 1.0-4.0 V. These promising results open up a new way to develop advanced anode materials with high rate and long life.

Antimony nanocrystals self-encapsulated within bio-oil derived carbon for ultra-stable sodium storage

Integrating carbon-coating and nanostructuring has been considered as the most promising strategy to accommodate the dramatic volume expansion represented by high-capacity antimony (Sb) upon sodiation. Suitable coating source and synthetic strategy that are both economical and strong are yet to be explored. In this regard, by using renewable bio-oil as carbon source and self-wrapping precursor, robust Sb@C composite anode with Sb nanoparticles homogeneously impregnated into the cross-linked 2D ultrathin carbon nanosheets is developed via a facile NaCl template-assisted self-assembly and followed carbothermal reduction method. Such judiciously crafted interconnected macroporous framework can mitigate of mechanical stress and alleviate the volume change of inner Sb, guaranteeing high-performance sodium-ion battery anode. At a current density of 0.1 A g^-1, ultrahigh reversible capacity of 520 mAh g^-1 can be achieved. Notably, a stable capacity of 391 mAh g^-1 is even retained after 500 cycles at 1 A g^-1. Such a facile and cost-effective synthetic method is promising for high-performance sodium-ion batteries.

Multifunctionalities of Graphene for Exploiting a Facile Conversion Reaction Route of Perovskite CoSnO3 for Highly Reversible Na Ion Storage

Transition-metal oxides are promising anode materials for sodium ion batteries (SIBs) and have attracted a great deal of attention because of their natural abundance and high theoretical capacities. However, they suffer from low conductivity and large volumetric/structural variation during sodiation/desodiation processes, leading to unsatisfactory cycling stability and poor rate capability. This study proposes a novel conversion reaction using CoSnO₃ (CSO) nanocubes uniformly wrapped in graphene nanosheets, which are fabricated using a wet-chemical strategy followed by low-temperature heat treatment. This optimized composite exhibits durable cyclability and high rate capability, which can be attributed to the strong interaction between reduced graphene oxide and CSO through its surface oxygen moieties. It develops a facile conversion reaction route, thereby leading to SnO₂ formation during charging. This interactive phenomenon further contributes to improving the reaction kinetics and restraining the volume expansion during cycling. This study may provide a facile approach for addressing irreversible conversion of high-capacity oxide materials toward advanced SIBs.

Dual metal oxides interconnected by carbon nanotubes for high-capacity Li- and Na-ion batteries

Sb₂O₃ and Co₃O₄ as potential anode materials for Li- and Na-ion batteries exhibit high theoretical capacities and excellent electrochemical stability; however, volume expansion, exfoliation and poor electronic conductivity affect the electrochemical performance to some extent. Here, we design dual metal oxide hybrid composites by one- and two-step solvothermal processes, in which Co₃O₄ with Sb₂O₃ traps Li⁺ ions and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as a network guarantee for electron transport. Sb₂O₃/CNTs/Co₃O₄ and Sb₂O₃/Co₃O₄/CNTs composites exhibit different morphologies, particles sizes and Li⁺/Na⁺ storage performance. The Sb₂O₃/CNTs/Co₃O₄ composite showes initial capacities of 1790 and 1450 mAh g^-1 after 100 cycles as the anode for a Li-ion battery. The capacity retention of the Sb₂O₃/Co₃O₄/CNTs composite is better than the Sb₂O₃/CNTs/Co₃O₄ composite for Na-ion storage. With charge/discharge cycles, the transition reaction of Sb₂O₃ and Co₃O₄ to Sb and Co repeats, leading to a homogenous distribution in CNTs and further growth of the nanoparticles. This work provides new insights into the design of high-capacity anodes for Li- and Na-ion storage by adjusting their composition and morphology.

Graphene/Amorphous Carbon Restriction Structure for Stable and Long-Lifespan Antimony Anode in Potassium-Ion Batteries

Sb-based materials have attracted much attention owing to their ability to undergo a multi-electron alloy reaction with K⁺ . However, there are still the serious problems of volume change and aggregation of particles, which lead to rapid capacity fading and a limited lifespan. In this work, a graphene/amorphous carbon restriction structure is proposed, in which the amorphous carbon layer on the surface of Sb nanoparticles can protect the particles from pulverization, and the graphene can buffer the volume change of the material. In addition, the conductive network formed by the dual carbon structure effectively improves the rate performance of the material. Thus, the material delivers a high capacity of 550 mA h g^-1 at 100 mA g^-1 , a rate capability of 370 mA h g^-1 at 2000 mA g^-1 , and a long lifespan of 350 cycles without significant capacity fading. The dual carbon strategy proposed offers a reference for the design of high-performance anode materials.

Multi-heteroatom-doped dual carbon-confined Fe3O4 nanospheres as high-capacity and long-life anode materials for lithium/sodium ion batteries

The lithium/sodium-ion storage properties of transition metal oxides often undergo startling volume variation and poor electrical conductivity. Herein, N, P and S doped dual carbon-confined Fe₃O₄ nanospheres (Fe₃O₄@C@G) are prepared by the multi-heteroatom-doped dual carbon-confined strategy. The first carbon layer results from multi-heteroatom-containing polymer derived N, P and S doped carbon to form Fe₃O₄@doped carbon core-shell nanostructure. And the second carbon layer results from the further encapsulated reduced graphene oxide (rGO) to form Fe₃O₄@doped carbon@graphene 3D architecture (Fe₃O₄@C@G). As expected, the resulting Fe₃O₄@C@G can be served as the universal anode materials towards lithium/sodium-ion batteries (LIBs/SIBs). Interestingly, Fe₃O₄@C@G delivers higher reversible capacity of 919 mAh g^-1 at 0.1 A g^-1 for LIBs. As for SIBs, Fe₃O₄@C@G also shows a high reversible capacity of 180 mAh g^-1 after 600 cycles at 0.1 A g^-1. Furthermore, the electrochemical reaction kinetics in LIBs/SIBs are investigated and Li⁺ full cells are also assembled to demonstrate its practical application.

Ultrasmall SnO2 nanocrystals embedded in porous carbon as potassium ion battery anodes with long-term cycling performance

Ultrasmall SnO₂ nanocrystals embedded in porous carbon as potassium ion battery anodes with long-term cycling performance.

Tin Oxide Based Nanomaterials and Their Application as Anodes in Lithium-Ion Batteries and Beyond

Herein, recent progress in the field of tin oxide (SnO2 )-based nanosized and nanostructured materials as conversion and alloying/dealloying-type anodes in lithium-ion batteries and beyond (sodium- and potassium-ion batteries) is briefly discussed. The first section addresses the importance of the initial SnO2 micro- and nanostructure on the conversion and alloying/dealloying reaction upon lithiation and its impact on the microstructure and cyclability of the anodes. A further section is dedicated to recent advances in the fabrication of diverse 0D to 3D nanostructures to overcome stability issues induced by large volume changes during cycling. Additionally, the role of doping on conductivity and synergistic effects of redox-active and -inactive dopants on the reversible lithium-storage capacity and rate capability are discussed. Furthermore, the synthesis and electrochemical properties of nanostructured SnO2 /C composites are reviewed. The broad research spectrum of SnO2 anode materials is finally reflected in a brief overview of recent work published on Na- and K-ion batteries.

Ionic-liquid-bifunctional wrapping of ultrafine SnO2 nanocrystals into N-doped graphene networks: high pseudocapacitive sodium storage and high-performance sodium-ion full cells

Sodium ion batteries are in great need of electrode materials with high specificity and rate capability being developed. The sluggish reaction kinetics of SnO2-based materials has impeded their applications as anodes of SIBs. Designing electrode materials with high pseudocapacitive contribution can increase the near-surface faradaic reaction, which helps to improve their kinetics and achieve high rate capability. Here, we designed a high-pseudocapacitance sodium storage anode SnO2/N-rGO by downsizing the particle size of SnO2 and constructing an N-doped graphene wrapped structure. The ultrafine structure of SnO2 ensures the high faradaic near-surface reaction, while the N-doped graphene matrix guarantees the superior electron and Na+ diffusion. Meanwhile, the wrapped N-doped graphene acts as a buffer layer to alleviate the volumetric changes of the active SnO2. The obtained ultrafine SnO2/N-graphene composite exhibits a high capacity of 607.6 mA h g-1 at 50 mA g-1 with an impressive rate capability (261.8 mA h g-1 at 2 A g-1) in Na+ half-cells. Furthermore, a good performance with a capacity of 133.3 mA h g-1 at 2.4 A g-1 in Na+ full-cells can also be achieved, which makes it a promising anode material for SIBs.

Surface-Confined SnS2 @C@rGO as High-Performance Anode Materials for Sodium- and Potassium-Ion Batteries

Potassium- (PIBs) and sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) are emerging as promising alternatives to lithium-ion batteries owing to the low cost and abundance of K and Na resources. However, the large radius of K⁺ and Na⁺ lead to sluggish kinetics and relatively large volume variations. Herein, a surface-confined strategy is developed to restrain SnS₂ in self-generated hierarchically porous carbon networks with an in situ reduced graphene oxide (rGO) shell (SnS₂ @C@rGO). The as-prepared SnS₂ @C@rGO electrode delivers high reversible capacity (721.9 mAh g^-1 at 0.05 A g^-1 ) and superior rate capability (397.4 mAh g^-1 at 2.0 A g^-1 ) as the anode material of SIB. Furthermore, a reversible capacity of 499.4 mAh g^-1 (0.05 A g^-1 ) and a cycling stability with 298.1 mAh g^-1 after 500 cycles at a current density of 0.5 A g^-1 were achieved in PIBs, surpassing most of the reported non-carbonaceous anode materials. Additionally, the electrochemical reactions between SnS₂ and K⁺ were investigated and elucidated.

In-situ Grown SnO2 Nanospheres on Reduced GO Nanosheets as Advanced Anodes for Lithium-ion Batteries

Nanostructured tin dioxide (SnO2) has emerged as a promising anode material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) due to its high theoretical capacity (1494 mA h g-1) and excellent stability. Unfortunately, the rapid capacity fading and poor electrical conductivity of bulk SnO2 material restrict its practical application. Here, SnO2 nanospheres/reduced graphene oxide nanosheets (SRG) are fabricated through in-situ growth of carbon-coated SnO2 using template-based approach. The nanosheet structure with the external layer of about several nanometers thickness can not only accommodate the volume change of Sn lattice during cycling but also enhance the electrical conductivity effectively. Benefited from such design, the SRG composites could deliver an initial discharge capacity of 1212.3 mA h g-1 at 0.1 A g-1, outstanding cycling performance of 1335.6 mA h g-1 after 500 cycles at 1 A g-1, and superior rate capability of 502.1 mA h g-1 at 5 A g-1 after 10 cycles. Finally, it is believed that this method could provide a versatile and effective process to prepare other metal-oxide/reduced graphene oxide (rGO) 2D nanocomposites.

Direct Growth of MoO2 /Reduced Graphene Oxide Hollow Sphere Composites as Advanced Anode Materials for Potassium-Ion Batteries

Hollow MoO₂ /reduced graphene oxide (MoO₂ /rGO) sub-microsphere composites have been fabricated through a simple hydrothermal approach followed by a heat treatment process. When employed as an anode material for potassium-ion batteries, the as-synthesized MoO₂ /rGO composite can deliver an initial charge specific capacity of 367.2 mAh g^-1 at 50 mA g^-1 , and its reversible capacity is 218.9 mAh g^-1 after 200 cycles. Even when cycled at 500 mA g^-1 , a high charge specific capacity of 104.2 mAh g^-1 is achieved after 500 cycles. The excellent cycling capability and rate performance may be ascribed to the synergistic effects of the reduced graphene oxide and the hollow MoO₂ spheres, which can increase the electrical conductivity of the composite, as well as resisting the strain arising from the repeated discharge-charge processes. These results indicate that the MoO₂ /rGO hollow sphere composites are promising negative electrode materials for potassium-ion batteries.

Tin-based nanomaterials: colloidal synthesis and battery applications

Tin-based nanomaterials have been of increasing interest in many fields such as alkali-ion batteries, gas sensing, thermoelectric devices, and solar cells. Finely controllable structures and compositions of tin-based nanomaterials are crucial to improve their performances. The solution-based colloidal synthesis of these compounds offers a promising path toward controlling their structures and components. This feature article summarizes the progress in recent studies on the colloidal synthesis of tin-based nanomaterials (such as metallic tin, alloys, oxides, chalcogenides, and phosphides) and their applications in alkali-ion batteries including our own recent contributions to this subject. The challenges and future outlook of the controllable synthesis and practical development of tin-based anode materials are also addressed.