A simple synthesis of nanostructured Cu-incorporated SnO2 phases with improved cycle performance for lithium ion batteries

•A facile synthesis of nanostructured Cu-incorporated SnO2 is reported.•A single homogeneous phase is obtained.•Cu-incorporated SnO2 shows an enhanced cycle performance in LIB.•The improved performance is related to in situ formation of metallic Cu upon cycling.

We report a facile synthesis of nanostructured Cu-incorporated SnO2. Aggregates composed of uniform ∼ 5 nm-sized nanoparticles were obtained through a simple room-temperature reaction between CuO and SnC2O4 in aqueous solution. The material is single-phase with copper incorporated mainly as Cu+. The synthesis approach also allows mixing with CuO to prepare SnO2/CuO nanocomposites. The synthesized materials show an improved cycle performance as anode materials in lithium ion batteries due to an improved morphology and in situ formation of metallic copper upon cycling (in the voltage range 0.05–1.1 V vs. Li/Li+).