Toward high specific capacity and high cycling stability of pure tin nanoparticles with conductive polymer binder for sodium ion batteries

•Pure Sn particle shows high specific capacity and high cycling stability with PFM conductive biner.•The Sn/PFM electrode can deliver 806 mAh g−1 at C/50 and 610 mAh g−1 at C/10.•After 10 cycles at C/10, the Sn/PFM electrode has no any capacity fading.

Pure Sn nanoparticles electrode with Poly(9,9-dioctylfluorene-co-fluorenone-co-methylbenzoic ester) (PFM) conductive binder was prepared and tested in sodium ion battery. It showed higher specific capacity and higher cycling stability without any carbon black compared with Sn/CMC (carboxy methylated cellulose) and Sn/PVDF (polyvinylidene fluoride) electrode. The Sn in Sn/PFM electrodes delivered 806 mAh g−1 at C/50 and 610 mAh g−1 at C/10. After 10 cycles at C/10, the capacity of Sn had no decay. SEM and TEM images showed that the Sn particles in Sn/PFM electrode were still in good conductive network despite big volume change, but parts of Sn particles in Sn/CMC or Sn/PVDF electrode are electrically isolated.