Preparation and electrochemical performances of nanoscale FeSn2 as anode material for lithium ion batteries

Nanoscale FeSn2 particles were prepared by chemical reduction process and solvothermal method and studied as anode materials for lithium ion batteries. The microstructure of FeSn2 was characterized by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The FeSn2 powder prepared by chemical reduction process presented quasi-spherical morphology with aggregation, and the particle were 30–70 nm in sizes. The powder prepared by solvothermal process was nearly monodisperse nanospheres, and the particle size was 80 nm with narrow distribution. The electrochemical properties of the FeSn2 anodes were measured by galvanostatic charge–discharge tests and cyclic voltammetric analysis (CV). The FeSn2 intermetallic compound synthesized by solvothermal method showed lower initial discharge capacity and better cyclability than that prepared by chemical reduction process due to the better crystallinity. The nanoscale FeSn2 powders both delivered a high reversible discharge capacity (500 mAh g−1).