Cu particles decorated pomegranate-structured SnO2@C composites as anode for lithium ion batteries with enhanced performance

In this paper, homogeneous composites of pomegranate-structured SnO2@C/Cu have been prepared by a simple hydrothermal reaction coupled with wet-chemical reduction, and directly used as anode materials for lithium ion batteries (LIBs). These SnO2@C/Cu anodes with an unique architecture show good LIB performance with a capacity of 660 mAh g−1 tested at 600 mA g−1 after 50 cycles and good rate performance at room temperature. Compared with the pure SnO2 and SnO2@C, SnO2@C/Cu anodes exhibit much better low-temperature electrochemical performance including reversible capacity, cycling performance, and rate performance. The good LIB performance of SnO2@C/Cu anodes should be associated with carbon shell and the conducting Cu particles. This unique configuration can prevent the agglomeration of active materials and facilitate electron conduction especially at a relative low temperature, and obtain the capacity stability in cycling process for LIBs.