Preparation of nano-sized graphite-supported CuO and Cu-Sn as active materials in lithium ion batteries

Nano-sized Cu-Sn and Cu oxide particles supported on ball-milled graphite were synthesized, and their electrochemical characteristics for use as anode active materials in lithium-ion batteries were investigated. The samples were also characterized via FE-SEM, XRD, and TGA. Most of the Cu oxides on BMG were monoclinic CuO crystals, whereas the Cu-Sn particles were composed of hexagonal Cu3Sn and tetragonal SnO2 crystals. These particles may contribute to an increase in the reversible capacity of lithium ion batteries.