Superior long-term cycling stability of SnO2 nanoparticle/multiwalled carbon nanotube heterostructured electrodes for Li-ion rechargeable batteries

We demonstrate the fabrication of hybrid nanocomposite electrodes with a combination of SnO2 nanoparticles (NPs) and conducting multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) anodes (SnO2-CNT) through the direct anchoring of SnO2 NPs on the surface of electrophoretically pre-deposited MWCNT (EPD-CNT) networks via a metal–organic chemical vapor deposition process. This SnO2-CNT nanocomposite displays large reversible capacities of over 780, 510, and 470 mA h g−1 at 1 C after 100, 500, and 1000 cycles, respectively. This outstanding long-term cycling stability is a result of the uniform distribution of SnO2 NPs (∼8.5 nm), a nanoscale EPD-CNT network with good electrical conductivity, and the creation of open spaces that buffer a large volume change during the Li-alloying/dealloying reaction of SnO2. (paper)