Constructing Sn-O bonds in Sn-MOF via a continuous microchannel reactor for lithium ion battery anode materials

Research on Sn-based metal–organic frameworks (Sn-MOFs) for lithium ion batteries has attracted substantial interest owing to their potential as high-performance anode materials. In this work, Sn-MOFs were synthesized using a microchannel reactor, enabling continuous production with methanol and water as solvents. Comparative analysis revealed a substantial increase in the percentage of Sn(Ⅳ) in Sn-MOF-H₂O, increasing from 39.8 % to 68.4 %, in contrast to Sn-MOF-MeOH. This increase resulted in enhanced coordination with oxygen, thereby improving lithium storage performance. Electrochemical assessments showcased Sn-MOF-H₂O’s superiority in first discharge capacity, first Coulomb efficiency, specific energy, and lower impedance over Sn-MOF-MeOH. Even after 200 cycles at a current density of 100 mA g⁻¹, Sn-MOF-H₂O maintained a specific capacity of 929.8 mAh g⁻¹, surpassing Sn-MOF-MeOH’s capacity of 446.1 mAh g⁻¹. The enhanced performance of Sn-MOF-H₂O can be ascribed to its abundant Sn-O bonding, facilitating better accommodation of volume changes during lithium insertion and extraction. These bonding interactions ensure uniform anchoring or release of Sn atoms in the organic matrix, thus curbing particle growth and aggregation. These findings underscore the potential of Sn-MOFs synthesized with water as solvents for advanced lithium ion battery applications.