Synergetic enhancement of the electronic/ionic conductivity of a Li-ion battery by fabrication of a carbon-coated nanoporous SnOSb alloy anode.

The major obstacles which prohibit the practical applications of alloy-type anodes include insufficient ionic/electronic transportations and structural failures. Herein, we report the fabrication of a carbon-coated nanoporous SnSb alloy (NP-SnOxSb@C) and its application as an anode in Li-ion batteries (LIBs). The as-fabricated NP-SnOxSb@C is characterized by SEM and TEM and demonstrates a bi-continuous nanoporous structure.