Microwave-assisted synthesis of graphene–SnO2 nanocomposite for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries

• Graphene–SnO2 nanocomposite was synthesized by a microwave-assisted method.
• The whole synthetic process can be finished within 2 min.
• The composite exhibits a good performance as lithium-ion battery anode material.
• The good performance is due to the existence of graphene and mesoporous structure.

Graphene–SnO2 nanocomposite was rapidly synthesized by a microwave-assisted method without using any additive. The as-prepared nanocomposite exhibits excellent electrochemical performance for lithium-ion batteries. Results show that the graphene–SnO2 nanocomposite with 70 wt% SnO2 content exhibits a stable capacity of about 890 mA h g−1 without noticeable fading for up to 80 cycles at a current density of 500 mA g−1. Even when cycled at a high current density of 1000 mA g−1, the specific capacity still remains approximately 790 mA h g−1. The good electrochemical performance can be attributed to the porous structure of the nanocomposite and the restriction effect of graphene on the volume change of SnO2 nanoparticles.