VO-C-SnO Hybrid Nanobelts as High Performance Anodes for Lithium-ion Batteries.

The superior performance of metal oxide nanocomposites has introduced them as excellent candidates for emerging energy sources, and attracted significant attention in recent years. The drawback of these materials is their inherent structural pulverization which adversely impacts their performance and makes the rational design of stable nanocomposites a great challenge. In this work, functional VO-C-SnO hybrid nanobelts (VCSNs) with a stable structure are introduced where the ultradispersed SnO nanocrystals are tightly linked with glucose on the VO surface. The nanostructured VO acts as a supporting matrix as well as an active electrode component. Compared with existing carbon-VO hybrid nanobelts, these hybrid nanobelts exhibit a much higher reversible capacity and architectural stability when used as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries. The superior cyclic performance of VCSNs can be attributed to the synergistic effects of SnO and VO. However, limited data are available for VO-based anodes in lithium-ion battery design.