title: Improved electrochemical performance of SnO2-mesoporous carbon hybrid as a negative electrode for lithium ion battery applications.
abstract: To utilize the high specific capacity of SnO2 as an anode material in lithium-ion batteries, one has to overcome its poor cycling performance and rate capability, which result from large volume expansion (∼300%) of SnO2 during charging-discharging cycles. Hence, to accommodate the volume change during cycling, SnO2 nanoparticles of 6 nm diameter were synthesized specifically only on the outer surface of the mesopores, present within mesoporous carbon (CMK-5) particles, resulting in an effective buffering layer. To that end, the synthesis process first involves the formation of 3.5 nm SnO2 nanoparticles inside the mesopores of mesoporous silica (SBA-15), the latter being used as a template subsequently to obtain SnO2-CMK-5 hybrid particles. SnO2-CMK-5 exhibits superior rate capabilities, e.g. after 30 cycles, a specific discharge capacity of 598 mA h g(-1), at a current density of 178 mA g(-1). Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy reveals that the SnO2-CMK-5 electrode undergoes a significant reduction in solid-electrolyte interfacial and charge transfer resistances, with a simultaneous increase in the diffusion coefficient of lithium ions, all these in comparison to an electrode made of only SnO2 nanoparticles. This enhances the potential of using the SnO2-CMK-5 hybrid as a negative electrode, in terms of improved discharge capacity and cycling stability, compared to other electrodes, such as only SnO2 or only CMK-5.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai 400076, India. rajdip@che.iitb.ac.in.
authors.forename: N R
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Srinivasan
authors.forename: Sagar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mitra
authors.forename: Rajdip
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bandyopadhyaya