Enhanced Electrochemical Performance of a Tin−antimony Alloy/N‐Doped Carbon Nanocomposite as a Sodium‐Ion Battery Anode

Abstract A simple one‐pot process for producing 3.5 nm diameter uniformly dispersed SnSb nanoparticles on a nitrogen‐doped carbon composite (NC) is reported. An ethanol slurry of SnCl 4 , SbCl 3 , and nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA) is heated in air to 300 °C to form the mixed metal oxide NTA complex; heating to 650 °C under argon yields the SnSb/NC nanocomposites, comprising 3.5 nm diameter SnSb nanocrystals uniformly distributed in the conductive N‐doped carbon. After 200 cycles at a specific current of 0.1 Ag −1 , the SnSb/NC nanocomposite sodium‐ion anode retains a reversible capacity of 244 mAh g −1 . The similarly prepared Sn/NC and Sb/NC anodes retain lower capacities of 88 and 188 mAh g −1 , respectively. The improved performance of the SnSb/NC electrode might be ascribed to the stepwise sodiation/desodiation process of Sn and Sb species in the SnSb/NC electrode, which could act as an inert buffer matrix for each other, according to the potentials, slowing the capacity fading.