Nanosized tin-based composite derived by in situ mechanochemical reduction for lithium ion batteries

Composites consisting of Sn and Li2O cluster were synthesized by high energy mechanical milling (HEMM) technique using SnO as the source of Sn and lithium metal as a reductant. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM) were used to determine the phases obtained and to observe the microstructure of the composites. In addition, cyclic voltammetry (CV) and galvanostatic discharge/charge tests were carried out to characterize the electrochemical properties of the resulted composites. The initial columbic efficiency of the composite electrodes was 67%, which was much higher than that of the milled SnO (57%). The cycle performance was also improved compared with the milled SnO electrodes.