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.