Multifunctionalities of Graphene for Exploiting a Facile Conversion Reaction Route of Perovskite CoSnO3 for Highly Reversible Na Ion Storage

Abstract

Transition-metal oxides are promising anode materials for sodium ion batteries (SIBs) and have attracted a great deal of attention because of their natural abundance and high theoretical capacities. However, they suffer from low conductivity and large volumetric/structural variation during sodiation/desodiation processes, leading to unsatisfactory cycling stability and poor rate capability. This study proposes a novel conversion reaction using CoSnO3 (CSO) nanocubes uniformly wrapped in graphene nanosheets, which are fabricated using a wet-chemical strategy followed by low-temperature heat treatment. This optimized composite exhibits durable cyclability and high rate capability, which can be attributed to the strong interaction between reduced graphene oxide and CSO through its surface oxygen moieties. It develops a facile conversion reaction route, thereby leading to SnO2 formation during charging. This interactive phenomenon further contributes to improving the reaction kinetics and restraining the volume expansion during cycling. This study may provide a facile approach for addressing irreversible conversion of high-capacity oxide materials toward advanced SIBs.