title: Transition-metal-catalyzed oxidation of metallic Sn in NiO/SnO2 nanocomposite.
abstract: It is well accepted that metallic tin as a discharge (reduction) product of SnO(x) cannot be electrochemically oxidized below 3.00 V versus Li(+)/Li(0) due to the high stability of Li2O, though a similar oxidation can usually occur for a transition metal formed from the corresponding oxide. In this work, nanosized Ni2 SnO4 and NiO/SnO2 nanocomposite were synthesized by coprecipitation reactions and subsequent heat treatment. Owing to the catalytic effect of nanosized metallic nickel, metallic tin can be electrochemically oxidized to SnO2 below 3.00 V. As a result, the reversible lithium-storage capacities of the nanocomposite reach 970 mAh g(-1) or above, much higher than the theoretical capacity (ca. 750 mAh g(-1)) of SnO2, NiO, or their composites. These findings extend the well-known electrochemical conversion reaction to non-transition-metal compounds and may have important applications, for example, in constructing high-capacity electrode materials and efficient catalysts.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory for Renewable Energy, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing Key Laboratory for New Energy Materials and Devices, Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190 (P. R. China), Fax: (+86) 10-82649050.
authors.forename: Chunxiu
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hua
authors.forename: Xiangpeng
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.forename: Zhaoxiang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Liquan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chen
keywords: electrochemistry; lithium-ion batteries; nanocomposites; nickel; tin