Electro-Spun Free-Standing Flexible SnO2/Carbon Composite Electrode for Lithium-Ion Battery Application

A flexible SnO2/carbon composite lithium-ion battery (LIB) anode was prepared by electro-spinning followed by controlled heat treatment with the use of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) as carbon source as well as a polymer template and the use of tin (II) chloride dihydrate (SnCl2•2H2O) as tin source. After characterization by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electronic microscopy (TEM), and electrochemical measurements, it is found that compared to the control protocol wherein SnO2 particles are added directly, the in situ method leads to more uniformly shaped carbon fibers resulted from the PVP carbonization with diameters of ca. 300 nm in which SnO2 nanoparticles could be homogeneously dispersed. When applied as an anode for lithium-ionbattery, it delivers an outstanding cycling stability with a reversible specific capacity of 598 mA•h/g maintained after 100 cycles at a current density of 100 mA/g, which significantly prevails over that of pristine SnO2 electrode with only 86 mA•h/g remaining after 50 cycles. Moreover, the as prepared electrode possesses excellent flexibility and self-supporting capability that allows it to be directly applied as LIB anode. © 2019, Editorial Board of Polymer Materials Science & Engineering. All right reserved.