Self-assembled 3-D flower-shaped SnO2 nanostructures with improved electrochemical performance for lithium storage

Flower-shaped SnO2 nanoplates were successfully synthesized via a simple hydrothermal treatment of a mixture of tin(II) dichloride dihydrate (SnCl2·2H2O) and sodium citrate (Na3C6H5O7·2H2O) in alkali solution. The obtained SnO2 nanoplates were less than 5 nm thick and self-assembled into flower-shaped nanostructures. The introduction of citrate was essential for the preparation of the SnO2 nanoplates. The nanoscale shape and self-assembled architecture of SnO2 nanoparticles were mainly controlled by the alkalinity of the solution. When the self-assembled SnO2 nanostructures were used as anode materials in Li-ion batteries, they exhibit a reversible capacity of 670 mA h g−1 after 30 cycles and an average capacity fading of 0.95% per cycle after the second cycle. The good electrochemical performance of the SnO2 sample prepared via the hydrothermal synthesis indicates the possibility of fabricating specific self-assembled three-dimensional nanostructures for Li-ion batteries.