Novel hierarchical flowers-like Sn3O4 firstly used as anode materials for lithium ion batteries

A mixed-valence tin oxide, hierarchical Sn3O4 nanoflowers were synthesized via a hydrothermal route without any template. The flower-like Sn3O4 presented a specials three dimensional structure, which was assembled from single-crystalline Sn3O4 nanosheets. The unique structure possesses a large enough inner space and a high active surface area, which not only could make the liquid electrolyte diffusion into the electrode more easily but also could provide sufficient free volume for the volume changes in the discharging and charging process. As anode materials for lithium ion batteries, Sn3O4 nanosheets were investigated for the first time. As anode materials for LIBs, the first discharge capacity is 1256 mA h/g. The reversible capacity and the coulomb efficiency after 50 cycles are 505.2 mA h/g and 94.3%, respectively. Due to its excellent electrochemical properties, Sn3O4 has a great promising potential as a kind of abundant, cheap, environmentally benign anode materials for lithium ion batteries. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.