Microwave assisted hydrothermal synthesis of tin niobates nanosheets with high cycle stability as lithium-ion battery anodes

In this study, SnNb₂O₆ and Sn₂Nb₂O₇ nanosheets are synthetized via microwave assisted hydrothermal method, and innovatively employed as anode materials for lithium-ion battery. The SnNb₂O₆ electrode exhibits high reversible capacity and excellent cycling stability (498 mAh/g at 0.1 A/g after 100 cycles), which is superior to that of Sn₂Nb₂O₇ electrode (173 mAh/g at 0.1 A/g after 100 cycles). Even increasing the current density to 2.0 A/g, the SnNb₂O₆ electrode still delivers a reversible capacity up to 306 mA h/g. The rate performance of the SnNb₂O₆ electrode is also better than that of Sn₂Nb₂O₇ electrode at different current densities from 0.1 A/g to 2.0 A/g. The enhanced electrochemical performance of SnNb₂O₆ nanosheets can be attributed to the unique layered structure, which is conducive to the diffusion of the lithium ions and the migration of electrons during discharge/charge.