Zn2SnO4/graphene composites as anode materials for high performance lithium-ion batteries

Graphene-based composites are of great interest to the scientific field due to their good physical and chemical properties. In this work, Zn2SnO4/graphene (Zn2SnO4/G) composites with high purity are hydrothermally prepared. The Zn2SnO4 nanoparticles are homogeneously anchored on the graphene nanosheets with a diameter less than 20 nm. The aggregations of Zn2SnO4 can be greatly reduced due to the introducing of graphene nanosheets. As anode materials for lithium ion batteries (LIBs), Zn2SnO4/G exhibits good electrochemical properties. The effects of graphene content in the composite on the electrochemical properties are also studied. The Zn2SnO4/G composite can deliver the initial discharge/charge capacities of 1367/829 mA h g−1 at the current density of 1 A g−1 and retain 848/842 mA h g−1 after 200 cycles, respectively. The good electrochemical properties are attributed to the synergistic effect of the nanocomposites.