Nanostructured Carbon/Antimony Composites as Anode Materials for Lithium-Ion Batteries with Long Life

A series of nanostructured carbon/antimony composites have been successfully synthesized by a simple sol–gel, high-temperature carbon thermal reduction process. In the carbon/antimony composites, antimony nanoparticles are homogeneously dispersed in the pyrolyzed nanoporous carbon matrix. As an anode material for lithium-ion batteries, the C/Sb10 composite displays a high initial discharge capacity of 1214.6 mAh g−1 and a reversible charge capacity of 595.5 mAh g−1 with a corresponding coulombic efficiency of 49 % in the first cycle. In addition, it exhibits a high reversible discharge capacity of 466.2 mAh g−1 at a current density of 100 mA g−1 after 200 cycles and a high rate discharge capacity of 354.4 mAh g−1 at a current density of 1000 mA g−1. The excellent cycling stability and rate discharge performance of the C/Sb10 composite could be due to the uniform dispersion of antimony nanoparticles in the porous carbon matrix, which can buffer the volume expansion and maintain the integrity of the electrode during the charge–discharge cycles.