Rational carbon design and confinement of leaf-like Tin trisulfide@Carbon/MXene Ti3C2Tx for enhanced conductivity and lithium storage kinetics

Due to the abundant terrestrial storage of raw materials, tin sulfide stands out as one of the most promising candidates for anodes in lithium-ion batteries (LiBs). Among its various forms, Tin trisulfide (Sn2S3) is a n-type semiconductor with notable anisotropic electrical conductivity. However, research on Sn2S3 crystal materials and their utilization as anode materials in LiBs remains limited. To expand the scope of application research involving Sn2S3 anode materials and to address the efficiency shortcomings associated with tin sulfide, a novel stacked leaf-like Sn2S3@C/Ti3C2Tx anode material has been meticulously designed and synthesized. Employing mechanical ball milling, the negatively charged surface of the Ti3C2Tx material is strategically leveraged to create defect spaces. These spaces facilitate a more stable anchoring of Sn2S3@C onto the sheet-like surface, mitigating internal stresses that may arise during charge-discharge cycles due to material aggregation. When deployed as the anode in LiBs, the Sn2S3@C/Ti3C2Tx composite exhibits exceptional cycling stability and conductivity. Notably, it demonstrates high reversible specific capacities across various current densities, i.e., 1162, 996.8, 925.4, 866.4, 810.1, 721.4, 624.5, and 552.8 mAh g(-1) at 0.1, 0.2, 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 8, and 10 A g(-1), respectively, surpassing those reported for SnSx-based anodes for LiBs. Additionally, dynamic tests such as galvanostatic intermittent titration technique (GITT) reveal that Sn2S3@C/Ti3C2Tx possesses superior surface diffusion capability and rapid electrical conduction rates. These findings underscore the significant potential for the practical application of Sn2S3@C/Ti3C2Tx nanocomposites in high-performance LiBs, offering a promising avenue for advancing battery technology towards enhanced efficiency and reliability.