Hybrid anode materials for Li-ion batteries are fabricated by binding SnO2 nanocrystals (NCs) in nitrogen-doped reduced graphene oxide (N-RGO) sheets by means of an in situ hydrazine monohydrate vapor reduction method. The SnO2NCs in the obtained SnO2NC@N-RGO hybrid material exhibit exceptionally high specific capacity and high rate capability. Bonds formed between graphene and SnO2 nanocrystals limit the aggregation of in situ formed Sn nanoparticles, leading to a stable hybrid anode material with long cycle life.

Substantial efforts have been devoted in the past decade to developing rechargeable lithium-ion batteries with high energy density and long cycle life for portable electronics, electric vehicles (EVs), and renewable energy storage. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11] The low theoretical capacity (372 mA h g − 1 ) of currently commercialized graphite cannot satisfy the demand of high energy density. Various anode materials with higher specifi c capacities have been proposed for lithium-ion batteries. Among these, silicon has attracted enormous attention owing to its low lithium-uptake potential and the highest theoretical capacity (4200 mA h g − 1 ). [12][13][14][15][16] However, the practical application of Si as an anode material is seriously hampered by the low intrinsic electric conductivity and large volume changes (greater than 300%) during lithium insertion and extraction from Si, resulting in dramatic pulverization of Si particles and electrical disconnection from the current collector, [ 17 ] and leading to rapid capacity fade upon cycling. To overcome these obstacles, fabrication of Si nano structures including nanowires, nanotubes, and hollow nanospheres and preparation of highconductivity carbon-coated Si nanocomposites have been well developed. [18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27] However, there is still a need for well-designed Si-based nanomaterials and their facile synthetic methods towards high-performance anode materials.Recently, the utilization of graphene in coating Si nanoparticles as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries is becoming more and more appealing due to its unique properties, such as high two-dimensional electrical conductivity, superior mechanical fl exibility, high chemical and thermal stability, and large surface area. [28][29][30][31][32][33][34] These coating techniques are primarily basing on graphene and can not only provide enough fl exibility to accommodate huge volume changes of Si nanoparticles, but also can enhance the conductivity of Si nanoparticles. For example, Si nanoparticle-graphene composites and paper composites have been prepared by a simple mixing method, [ 34 ] or a fi ltration-directed assembly approach. [31][32] Though both attempts have obtained improvements on lithium storage, they do not provide good dispersion of Si nanoparticles between graphene sheets, leading to a limited electrochemical performance enhancement. Therefore, the uniform dispersion of Si nanoparticles in the desired Si nanoparticle-graphene composite remains a great challenge.Electrostatic self-assembly is a well-established strategy to create well-mixed nanocomposites. It is based on the electrostatic attraction between consecutively adsorbed, oppositely charged species. [35][36][37] Silicon is easy to oxidize to form a layer of silicon oxide on its surface and endow with a negative charge. Graphene oxide (GO) shows a negative charge owing to ionization of the carboxylic acid and phenolic hydroxyl groups existing on the GO. [ 38 ] Here, in view of the negatively charged Si nan...

Silicon nanoparticles have been successfully inserted into graphene sheets via a novel method combining freeze-drying and thermal reduction. The as-obtained Si/graphene nanocomposite exhibits remarkably enhanced cycling performance and rate performance compared with bare Si nanoparticles for lithium-ion batteries.

A facile method to synthesize a MoS(2) nanosheet-graphene nanosheet hybrid has been developed via the combination of a lithiation-assisted exfoliation process and a hydrazine monohydrate vapour reduction technique. The as-obtained nanosheet-nanosheet hybrid is more robust and exhibits much improved cycle life (>700), which make it an efficient morphological solution to the stable lithium storage problem of nanomaterials.

Ultra‐uniform SnOx/carbon nanohybrids for lithium‐ion batteries are successfully prepared by solvent replacement and subsequent electrospinning. The resulting 1D nanostructure with Sn‐N bonding between the SnOx and N‐containing carbon nanofiber matrix can not only tolerate the substantial volume change and suppress the aggregation of SnOx, but also enhances the transport of both electrons and ions for the embedded SnOx, thus leading to high cycling performance and rate capability.

Sb-based nanocomposites are attractive anode materials for batteries as they exhibit large theoretical capacity and impressive working voltage.However,tardy potassium ion diffusion characteristics,u nstable Sb/electrolyte interphase, and huge volume variation pose ac hallenge,h indering their practical use for potassium-ion batteries (PIBs). Now,asimple robust strategy is presented for uniformly impregnating ultrasmall Sb nanocrystals within carbon nanofibers containing an arrayo fh ollown anochannels (denoted u-Sb@CNFs), resolving the issues abovea nd yielding high-performance PIBs. u-Sb@CNFs can be directly employed as an anode,t hereby dispensing with the need for conductive additives and binders. Such aj udiciously crafted u-Sb@CNF-based anode renders as et of intriguing electrochemical properties,r epresenting large charge capacity,u nprecedented cycling stability,a nd outstanding rate performance.Areversible capacity of 225 mAh g À1 is retained after 2000 cycles at 1Ag À1 .

MoS(2)@CMK-3 nanocomposite consisting of confined nanosized MoS(2) in CMK-3 carbon matrix exhibits much improved cycling performance and rate capability due to the enlarged interlayer distance and favorable conductivity.

Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) have attracted enormous attention as an alternative to lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Recent studies on SIB cathodes have demonstrated performances comparable with their LIB counterparts. One major challenge for SIBs thus resides in exploiting suitable anode materials. Here, we develop a multistep templating method to confine SnS 2 nanosheets in different carbon hollow structures including nanotubes, nanoboxes, and hollow nanospheres. Benefiting from their unique structural merits, these SnS 2 -carbon nanohybrids manifest excellent sodium storage properties.