Sol-gel preparation and electrochemical characterization of SnO2/MWCNTs anode materials for Li-ion batteries

Sol-gel technique was used to prepare SnO2/MWCNT buckypaper composite films as anode material for Li-ion batteries. Firstly, MWCNT buckypapers were prepared and SnO2 precursor sols were synthesized after removing chloride ions. Subsequently, spin coating method was applied to form nanocomposite electrodes by using MWCNTs as substrates. Sintered nanocomposite structures were then characterized with scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDS), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses. Electrochemical tests were performed for the produced electrodes assembled as CR2016 cells. Coating on the MWCNT buckypapers prevented the formation of cracks of the sol-gel thin film on the MWCNT surfaces. The results showed beneficial effects in terms of buffering the large-volume change of SnO2 during the lithium insertion/extraction process. The results indicated that the nanocrystalline SnO2/MWCNT composites are suitable for applying as an anode electrode for Li-ion batteries to increase electrochemical energy storage performance. (c) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.