A porous graphene/carbon nanowire hybrid with embedded SnO2 nanocrystals for high performance lithium ion storage

Abstract

A high-yield porous graphene/carbon nanowire (PG/CNW) hybrid is synthesized via in situ chemical oxidative polymerization followed by carbonization and KOH activation. An easy and efficient vacuum-assisted impregnation followed by thermal treatment at a temperature of 350 °C is adopted to crystallize the SnO₂ nanocrystals, realizing their embedment into the PG/CNW matrix. When evaluated for the electrochemical properties in lithium ion batteries, the obtained SnO₂–PG/CNW composite exhibits a high lithium storage capacity of up to 1200 mA h g⁻¹, good cycling performance and outstanding rate capability. The preparation strategy is easy and efficient, providing a novel methodology for various types of heterogeneous nanocrystals embedded into porous matrix configuration for energy storage applications.