Synthesis and electrochemical characterization of InSn4 and InSn4/C as new anode materials for lithium-ion batteries

The InSn4 intermetallic powders are synthesized via carbothermal reduction route from In2O3 and SnO2. The reaction possibility is estimated by thermodynamic calculation. Pure InSn4 intermetallic powders with spherical morphology can be obtained at 900 °C in flowing nitrogen. The micro-sized InSn4 particle is actually composed of a large number of nano-sized grains with polycrystalline and loose structure. The synthesized InSn4 shows high reversible specific capacity (ca. 500 mAhg−1) and a good cycling performance as an anode material for lithium-ion batteries. Coating InSn4 with carbon can increase the reversible specific capacity and improve significantly the rate capability. The InSn4/C composite displays a stable specific capacity of ca. 600 mAhg−1. In consideration of the simple and moderate synthesis route and the mass productive feature, the InSn4/C composite is a promising anode material for lithium-ion batteries.