Sn/C non-woven film prepared by electrospinning as anode materials for lithium ion batteries

Sn/C non-woven film has been prepared by electrospinning and carbonization treatment. Investigation of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) indicate that the film is formed by non-woven fibers. The fibers consist of amorphous carbon and homogeneously dispersed tin particles, which are extremely tiny (around 1 nm). However, partial tin particles are oxidized when the film is kept in the air, which is confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The XRD measurement also suggests that the tin oxides completely decompose to pure tin after several electrochemical cycles. The reversible capacity of the film in the 20th cycle is 382 mAh g⁻¹, which is 96.7% of the capacity in the first cycle. Such Sn/C non-woven film could be a promising anode material in lithium ion batteries.