SnS2 nanoparticle-integrated graphene nanosheets as high-performance and cycle-stable anodes for lithium and sodium storage

With the intensification of environmental pollution problems, the requirement for clean energy is increasing as time goes by. Currently, lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) composed of graphite anode cannot meet the commercial demand of human beings. Furthermore, considering the viewpoint that sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) were promising in large-scale energy storage, we synthesize a hybrid of SnS2 nanoparticle-integrated graphene nanosheets (SnS2@GNS) by a facile and simple method. The unique structure that SnS2 and GNS bonded by covalent bonds makes it displays excellent performance for lithium/sodium storage. Especially in LIBs, when tested at 0.1 A g−1, it delivers 1250.8 mA h g−1 after cycling 150 times which is much higher than previously reported Sn-based anode materials. In addition, it sustains 798.6 mA h g−1 without obvious capacity decay when the rate changed to 0.5 A g−1. Moreover, when employed in SIBs, it also delivers superior cycle performance (510.2 mA h g−1 after 100 cycles), which makes it possible to apply in LIBs and SIBs at the same time.