SnO2@C@VO2 Composite Hollow Nanospheres as an Anode Material for Lithium-Ion Batteries

Porous SnO2@C@VO2 composite hollow nanospheres were ingeniously constructed through the combination of layer-by-layer deposition and redox reaction. Moreover, to optimize the electrochemical properties, SnO2@C@VO2 composite hollow nanospheres with different contents of the external VO2 were also studied. On the one hand, the elastic and conductive carbon as interlayer in the SnO2@C@VO2 composite can not only buffer the huge volume variation during repetitive cycling but also effectively improve electronic conductivity and enhance the utilizing rate of SnO2 and VO2 with high theoretical capacity. On the other hand, hollow nanostructures of the composite can be consolidated by the multilayered nanocomponents, resulting in outstanding cyclic stability. In virtue of the above synergetic contribution from individual components, SnO2@C@VO2 composite hollow nanospheres exhibit a large initial discharge capacity (1305.6 mAhg-1) and outstanding cyclic stability (765.1 mAhg-1 after 100 cycles). This design of composite hollow nanospheres may be extended to the synthesis of other nanomaterials for electrochemical energy storage.