Synthesis, characterization, and lithium-storage of ZnO–SnO2 hierarchical architectures

Abstract

Hierarchical ZnO–SnO2 composite nanofibers have been prepared through the single-nozzle electrospinning technique and subsequent calcinations using polyvinyl pyrrolidone as the fiber template and N,N-dimethylformamide as the solvent. The structures and morphologies of the samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The mesoporous nanofibers are composed of homogeneous grain-like nanoparticles, and heterostructures are formed between ZnO and SnO2. When used as the anode of lithium ion batteries, the ZnO–SnO2 composite nanofibers show first discharge and charge capacities of 1795 and 1364 mA h g−1 at a current density of 50 mA g−1. A reversible capacity of 588 mA h g−1 is obtained after 100 cycles. The ZnO–SnO2 composite nanofibers prepared by such a simple and cheap method are expected to have a potential application in energy storage.