Confined Porous Graphene/SnO_x Frameworks within Polyaniline-Derived Carbon as Highly Stable Lithium-Ion Battery Anodes

Tin oxides are promising anode materials for their high theoretical capacities in rechargeable lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). However, poor stability usually limits the practical application owing to the large volume variation during the cycling process. Herein, a novel carbon confined porous graphene/SnOx framework was designed using a silica template assisted nanocasting method followed by a polyaniline-derived carbon coating process. In this process, silica served as a template to anchor SnOx nanoparticles on porous framework and polyaniline was used as the carbon source for coating on the porous graphene/SnOx framework. The synthesized carbon confined porous graphene/SnOx frameworks demonstrate substantially improved rate capacities and enhanced cycling stability as the anode materials in LIBs, showing a high reversible capacity of 907 mAh g(-1) after 100 cycles at 100 mA g(-1) and 555 mAh g(-1) after 400 cycles at 1000 mA g(-1). The remarkably improved electrochemical performance could be assigned to the unique porous architecture, which effectively solves the drawbacks of SnOx including poor electrical conductivity and undesirable volume expansion during cycling process. Consequently, such design concept for promoting SnOx performance could provide a novel stage for improving anode stability in LIBs.