Sb2O5/Co-containing carbon polyhedra as anode material for high-performance lithium-ion batteries

Antimony-based oxides (SbxOy) have been considered as promising candidate anode materials for lithium ion batteries (LIBs). However, the poor electrical conductivity and huge volume change of SbxOy during lithium insertion and extraction hinder its lithium-storage performance. In this work, Sb2O5/Co-containing carbon polyhedra (SCCP) were prepared through a galvanic replacement reaction accompanied by oxidation process. Sb2O5 possesses high theoretical capacity and carbon not only effectively improves the charge transport ability but also accommodates the volume change of Sb2O5 during charge/discharge process. Besides, the inner metallic Co further enhances the electrical conductivity of the composite. Furthermore, the dominated capacitive contribution of SCCP electrode can also improve its lithium-storage performance. Benefiting from the synergetic effects of these factors, when used as anode material for LIBs, SCCP demonstrates an ultrahigh specific capacity of 1009 mA h g−1 at 100 mA g−1 after 100 cycles. Even at a high current density of 1000 mA g−1, a reversible capacity of 462.8 mA h g−1 is still achieved after 700 cycles. SCCP should be a promising anode material for next generation LIBs.