Restricting alloying reaction of sns nanoparticles as negative electrode towards building high-performance lithium-ion batteries and capacitors with robust cycling

Abstract

The lithium-ion capacitor (LIC) is a relatively new device that has emerged on the battlefield and can potentially put down the LIBs. These hybrid devices have two different electrode mechanisms (Faradaic and non-Faradaic) that bridge the gap between the LIBs and conventional supercapacitors. Herein, we introduce an appropriate electrode material, tin sulphide, SnS, which could be used as an anode in LIBs and LICs by limiting only an alloy-type reaction. This work explores the possibility of fabricating LIB and LIC with SnS nanoparticles as anode and commercial LiNi_0.5Mn_1.5O₄ and activated carbon (AC) as a cathode under balanced loading conditions. For the case of LIC, prior to the fabrication, the Li/SnS cell is electrochemically pre-lithiated (Li_xSn + Li₂S) and paired with the cathode AC. The LIB and LIC displayed a maximum energy density of 387 and 172 Wh kg^–1, respectively, with ultra-long cyclability and capacity retention. The adaptability of these devices to various climatic conditions is validated by testing the full cell at different temperature conditions (–10 to 50 °C). Thus, from all the studies, we discovered that the SnS could be a potential candidate that could replace the graphitic carbon anode in both Li-ion batteries and capacitor configurations.