Production and characterization of free-standing ZnO/SnO2/MWCNT ternary nanocomposite Li-ion battery anode

•Ternary ZnO/SnO2/MWCNT free-standing anode was prepared by spin coating method.•MWCNT buckypapers were used to accommodate volumetric stress of the anode structure.•The capacity comparison of ternary and binary MO/MWCNT anodes was performed.•The ternary free-standing electrode represented better capacity retention.•The ternary anode showed as high as of 487 mAh g−1 discharge capacity after 100 cycles.

High capacity ZnO/SnO2/MWCNT ternary nanocomposite films were prepared as free-standing anode materials by sol–gel spin coating method to increase the electrochemical discharge capacity of the Li-ion battery electrodes. The structural properties of free-standing buckypaper composite film anodes were characterized by Field Emission Gun – Scanning Electron microscopy, Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy and X-ray Diffraction techniques. Electrochemical performance tests, Cyclic Voltammetry and Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy analyses of free-standing anodes assembled in the CR2016 coin cell type Li-ion batteries were also performed. After 100 cycles, ZnO/SnO2/MWCNT free-standing anode showed as high as 487 mAh g−1 discharge capacity. The results indicated that the ZnO/SnO2/MWCNT ternary nanocomposite anode produced by spin coating supplied beneficial outputs compared with binary nanocomposite anodes for increasing electrochemical energy storage performance for Li-ion batteries.

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