Synthesis and characterization of tin dioxide/multiwall carbon nanotube composites

Nanocomposites composed of tin dioxide/multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were synthesized by a chemical precipitation method. The content of SnO2 in the nanocomposites was adjusted by changing the mass ratio of SnCl4·4H2O to MWCNTs. The crystalline structure and morphology of the as-prepared samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The electrochemical properties of the composites were investigated with a battery testing system. The results show that the electrochemical performance of a composite is strongly dependent on the content of SnO2 in the composites. A nanocomposite containing 50 wt.% of SnO2 gave the best performance, exhibiting relatively higher reversible capacity (523 mAh/g) and excellent cycling ability. The possible reasons why the composite has such an outstanding electrochemical performance are discussed also.