Preparation of Mn₂SnO₄ wrapped with N-doped reduced graphene oxide as a stable anode material for lithium–ion storage

Sn-based materials have been investigated as anodes for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) due to their high theoretical capacity, low cost, and simple fabrication. Among the challenges involving these materials, volume expansion, slow kinetic reactions and poor cycling stability caused by low conductivity require further improvements in view of the exploitation of LIBs. Herein, we prepared Mn₂SnO₄ particles wrapped by N-doped reduced graphene (Mn₂SnO₄ @rGO) via a simple hydrothermal and subsequent annealing process. Moreover, composite engineering with N-doped graphene prevents volume expansion and provides a cushion from structural damage. Benefiting from this nanocomposite, the Mn₂SnO₄ @rGO composite electrode delivered an excellent specific capacity of 1488.5 mAh g⁻¹ for 200 cycles at 500 mA g⁻¹ and 712.1 mAh g⁻¹ for 1000 cycles at 2.0 A g⁻¹. The performance offers a simple way for fabricating binary composite materials to improve the electrochemical performance for lithium storage applications.