Simple Synthesis of Nanocrystalline Tin Sulfide/N-Doped Reduced Graphene Oxide Composites as Lithium Ion Battery Anodes.

Youn, Duck Hyun; Stauffer, Shannon K; Xiao, Penghao; Park, Hunmin; Nam, Yejin; Dolocan, Andrei; Henkelman, Graeme; Heller, Adam et al. · ACS Nano · 2016

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

Composites of nitrogen-doped reduced graphene oxide (NRGO) and nanocrystalline tin sulfides were synthesized, and their performance as lithium ion battery anodes was evaluated. Following the first cycle the composite consisted of Li<sub>2</sub>S/Li<sub>x</sub>Sn/NRGO. The conductive NRGO cushions the stress associated with the expansion of lithiation of Sn, and the noncycling Li<sub>2</sub>S increases the residual Coulombic capacity of the cycled anode because (a) Sn domains in the composite formed of unsupported SnS<sub>2</sub> expand only by 63% while those in the composite formed of unsupported SnS expand by 91% and (b) Li percolates rapidly at the boundary between the Li<sub>2</sub>S and Li<sub>x</sub>Sn nanodomains. The best cycling SnS<sub>2</sub>/NRGO-derived composite retained a specific capacity of 562 mAh g<sup>-1</sup> at the 200th cycle at 0.2 A g<sup>-1</sup> rate.