Porous graphene anchored with Sb/SbOx as sodium-ion battery anode with enhanced reversible capacity and cycle performance

Nanocomposites of porous graphene anchored with Sb/SbOx nanoparticles were synthesized through a two-step wet chemical process. SbOx/graphene was initially prepared by refluxing SbCl3 and graphene oxide in benzyl alcohol. Subsequently, the SbOx nanoparticles were partially reduced by NaBH4. The nanocomposites exhibited an enhanced performance for sodium-ion battery with a stable sodium-ion storage capacity of 311.6 mAh g−1 at 50 mA g−1 after 100 cycles and a rate capability of 205.6 mAh g−1 at 800 mA g−1. Reduction of SbOx by adding moderate amount of NaBH4 was conducive in improving the nanocomposite's electrochemical performance. The sodium-ion storage capacity of Sb/SbOx/graphene material was 1.4 times higher than that of SbOx/graphene without NaBH4 and 6.2 times higher than that of Sb/graphene with excessive amount of NaBH4.