Facile solution synthesis of tin sulfide nanobelts for lithium-ion batteries

Two-dimensional Sn-based metal compounds (e.g. SnS, SnS2 and SnO2) are exceptionally attractive due to their excellent ion intercalation response and are suitable for use in energy storage devices (e.g. lithium-ion batteries and supercapacitors). However, the application of these dichalcogenides in Li-ion batteries is hindered by limitations in large-scale solution synthesis of SnS nanobelts. In this study, we developed a universal hydrothermal approach for the synthesis of SnS nanobelts and proposed an underlying mechanism for the formation reaction. When used as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries, SnS nanobelts maintain a discharge capacity of 889.9 mAhg−1 after 50 cycles at a current density of 0.1 A/g. The nanobelts also exhibit high electrochemical performance, high rate capacity, and high reversible capacity. These results demonstrate that SnS nanobelts are potential anode materials for high-performance energy storage applications.