Carbon nanofiber-supported B2O3–SnOx glasses as anode materials for high-performance lithium-ion batteries

Abstract

A series of carbon nanofiber-supported B₂O₃–SnO_x glasses (0B₂O₃–SnO_x/CNFs, 0.5B₂O₃–SnO_x/CNFs, 1.5B₂O₃–SnO_x/CNFs and 3B₂O₃–SnO_x/CNFs) have been prepared by an electrospinning technique, and a subsequent stabilization and carbonization treatment. The amorphous B₂O₃–SnO_x glass nanoparticles homogeneously dispersed in the carbon nanofibers (CNFs) matrix have been utilized as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries. The typical 1.5B₂O₃–SnO_x/CNF nano hybrid anode material demonstrates the highest reversible capacity as well as superior cycling stability and rate performance by virtue of the special glass network structure of non-bridging oxygen (NBO: B–O⋯Sn) in the B₂O₃–SnO_x glasses, which can not only buffer the large volume change of SnO_x, but also prohibit the aggregation of Sn nanoparticles during the charge–discharge cycles.