In situ one–pot synthesis of Sn/lignite–based porous carbon composite for enhanced lithium storage

Abstract To expand the variety of Sn/C composites, lignite–based porous carbon was initially prepared with Baoqing lignite as the raw material and K2CO3 as the extractant and activator. A novel Sn/lignite–based porous carbon composite was subsequently fabricated via an in situ one–pot synthesis method. In the nanocomposite, Sn nanoparticles are uniformly distributed on lignite–based porous carbon, improving the lithium–ion storage performance of the as–prepared material. Compared with pure Sn and bare lignite–based porous carbon, Sn/lignite–based porous carbon displayed a superior electrochemical performance. The composite material exhibits a high reversible capacity of 941 mAh g−1 after 200 cycles at 100 mA g−1. Even after 800 charge/discharge cycles at a high current density of 1000 mA g−1, the nanocomposite retains a reversible capacity of 573 mAh g−1. The enhanced lithium–ion storage performance can be attributed to the combined effect of Sn and lignite–based porous carbon.