Electrochemical Insertion/extraction of Lithium in Multiwall Carbon Nanotube/Sb and SnSb0.5 Nanocomposites

Multiwall carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were synthesized by catalytic chemical vapor deposition of acetylene and used as templates to prepare CNT-Sb and CNT-SnSb0.5 nanocomposites via the chemical reduction of SnCl2 and SbCl3 precursors. SEM and TEM imagings show that the Sb and SnSb0.5 particles were uniformly dispersed in the CNT web and on the outside surface of CNTs. These CNT-metal composites are active anode materials for lithium ion batteries, showing improved cyclability compared to unsupported Sb and SnSb particles; and higher reversible specific capacities than CNTs. The improvement in cyclability may be attributed to the nanoscale dimensions of the metal particles and CNT’s role as a buffer in containing the mechanical stress arising from the volume changes in electrochemical lithium insertion and extraction reactions.