Synthesis of SnO_2 nanoparticles inside mesoporous carbon via a sonochemical method for highly reversible lithium batteries

摘要

A sonochemical method was introduced to synthesize SnO_2 nanoparticles in the pores of mesoporous carbon without any other agents. The nitrogen adsorption measurement and transmission electron microscopy results revealed that the SnO_2 nanoparticles with the average particle size of around 10 nm were homogeneous distribution in the matrix. The aggregation of SnO_2 was hindered by the three-dimensioned porous frameworks, resulting in a relatively large surface area of 362 m~2 g~(-1) which is beneficial for lithium-ion storage in batteries. The resultant composites with 43% SnO_2 exhibited a high reversible capacity of 200 mAh g~(-1) even after 300 cycles, which is 186% higher than that of the initial mesoporous carbon matrix. This strategy is expected to incorporate other functional nanoparticles inside mesoporous carbon for many applications.