Construction of Carbon Nanofiber-Wrapped SnO(2) Hollow Nanospheres as Flexible Integrated Anode for Half/Full Li-Ion Batteries

SnO(2) is deemed a potential candidate for high energy density (1494 mAh g(−1)) anode materials for Li-ion batteries (LIBs). However, its severe volume variation and low intrinsic electrical conductivity result in poor long-term stability and reversibility, limiting the further development of such materials. Therefore, we propose a novel strategy, that is, to prepare SnO(2) hollow nanospheres (SnO(2)-HNPs) by a template method, and then introduce these SnO(2)-HNPs into one-dimensional (1D) carbon nanofibers (CNFs) uniformly via electrospinning technology. Such a sugar gourd-like construction effectively addresses the limitations of traditional SnO(2) during the charging and discharging processes of LIBs. As a result, the optimized product (denoted SnO(2)-HNP/CNF), a binder-free integrated electrode for half and full LIBs, displays superior electrochemical performance as an anode material, including high reversible capacity (~735.1 mAh g(−1) for half LIBs and ~455.3 mAh g(−1) at 0.1 A g(−1) for full LIBs) and favorable long-term cycling stability. This work confirms that sugar gourd-like SnO(2)-HNP/CNF flexible integrated electrodes prepared with this novel strategy can effectively improve battery performance, providing infinite possibilities for the design and development of flexible wearable battery equipment.