Flexible SnTe/carbon nanofiber membrane as a free-standing anode for high-performance lithium-ion and sodium-ion batteries.

Abstract Flexible electrode plays a key role in flexible energy storage devices. The SnTe/C nanofibers membrane (SnTe/CNFM) with excellent mechanical flexibility has been successfully synthesized for the first time through electrospinning, and it demonstrates outstanding electrochemical performance as free-standing anode for lithium/sodium-ion batteries. The SnTe/CNFM electrode delivers a discharge capacity of 526.7 mAh g−1 at 1000 mA g−1 after 1000 cycles in lithium-ion half-cells and a discharge capacity of 236.5 mAh g−1 at 500 mA g−1 after 80 cycles in lithium-ion full-cells with a LiFePO4 cathode. Not only that, it shows a discharge capacity of 182.7 mAh g−1 at 200 mA g−1 after 200 cycles in sodium-ion half-cells and a high discharge capacity of 207.0 mAh g−1 at 500 mA g−1 after 50 cycles in sodium-ion full-cells with a Na0.44MnO2 cathode. Moreover, the prepared SnTe/CNFM exhibits good mechanical flexibility. The SnTe/CNFM can still return to its original state without any breakage after bending, curling, folding and kneading. These results indicate that SnTe/CNFM is expected to become one of the promising free-standing anodes for lithium/sodium-ion batteries.