Self-templated hydrothermal synthesis of Mn2SnO4-SnO2@C mesoporous nano cube as the anode material for high-performance lithium-ion batteries

Mn2SnO4 is considered a promising anode material for lithium-ion batteries due to its high theoretical specific capacity. However, its commercialization is hindered by poor structural stability caused by significant volume changes during alloying/dealloying processes. In this study, we successfully synthesized a mesoporous Mn2SnO4-SnO2@C anode material with a face-centered cubic rock structure using co-precipitation and self-template techniques. We employed sodium chloride, which has a face-centered cubic lattice structure, as a sacrificial template to synthesize the precursor MnSn(OH)6 through co-precipitation. Subsequently, sodium chloride was removed through washing, followed by calcination of the precursor. By encapsulating Mn2SnO4 within a carbon shell containing sufficient voids, the volume changes of Mn2SnO4 in Mn2SnO4-SnO2@C during cycling can be effectively buffered. Additionally, the porous structure of Mn2SnO4-SnO2@C provides channels for ion transport, thereby enhancing initial coulombic efficiencies (ICE). The synthesized Mn2SnO4-SnO2@C exhibits excellent electrochemical performance with ICE of 78.2 % and 69.0 % at current densities of 100, 1000 mA g−1, respectively. The specific capacity was 525.3 mAh g−1 after 100 cycles at a current density of 100 mA g−1. The synergistic effect in Mn2SnO4-SnO2@C contributed to improved reversibility of the lithium storage reaction, resulting in higher capacity and higher initial coulombic efficiency of Mn2SnO4-SnO2@C.