A facile hydrazine-assisted hydrothermal method for the deposition of monodisperse SnO2nanoparticles onto graphene for lithium ion batteries

Abstract

In this manuscript, we introduce a facile hydrothermal method for the controlled growth of SnO₂ nanoparticles onto graphene oxide. Hydrazine plays a fundamental role in controlling the formation and crystallization of SnO₂ nanoparticles, and the reduction of graphene oxide to graphene. The SnO₂–graphene composite consists of 3–4 nm monodisperse SnO₂ nanocrystals homogeneously dispersed at the surface of graphene. It is demonstrated that the composite can accommodate the large volume change of SnO₂ which occurs during lithiation–delithiation cycles. When used as an anode material for lithium ion batteries, it exhibits a first discharge capacity of 1662 mA h g⁻¹, which rapidly stabilizes and still remains at 626 mA h g⁻¹ even after 50 cycles, when cycled at a current density of 100 mA g⁻¹. Even at the very high current density of 3200 mA g⁻¹, the composite displays a stable capacity of 383 mA h g⁻¹ after 50 cycles.