Interfacial engineering in SnO-embedded graphene anode materials for high performance lithium-ion batteries.

Tin dioxide is regarded as an alternative anode material rather than graphite due to its high theoretical specific capacity. Modification with carbon is a typical strategy to mitigate the volume expansion effect of SnO during the charge process. Strengthening the interface bonding is crucial for improving the electrochemical performance of SnO/C composites. Here, SnO-embedded reduced graphene oxide (rGO) composite with a low graphene content of approximately 5 wt.% was in situ synthesized via a cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB)-assisted hydrothermal method. The structural integrity of the SnO/rGO composite is significantly improved by optimizing the Sn-O-C electronic structure with CTAB, resulting a reversible capacity of 598 mAh g after 200 cycles at a current density of 1 A g. CTAB-assisted synthesis enhances the rate performance and cyclic stability of tin dioxide/graphene composites, and boosts their application as the anode materials for the next-generation lithium-ion batteries.