Synthesis and characterisation of tin sulfide for application in lithium ion battery

• Main Author: Ling, Wei Chang.
• Other Authors: Hng Huey Hoon
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2013
• Subjects: DRNTU::Engineering
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/52882
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Lithium ion battery (LIB) is one of the most promising forms of rechargeable electrical energy storage systems for many consumer products, particularly in portable electronics such as notebook computers and cell phones since 1980s. Good cycling performance anode is essential for application in lithium ion battery to meet the ever-increasing demand for energy in technological requirements. In this project, tin sulfide (SnS) was synthesized using a facile solvothermal technique. A mixture of particles with average diameter of 2.5μm and rod-like structures with an average length and width of about 10μm and 250nm respectively was obtained. Lithium storage properties of the as-synthesized SnS with single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT), multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT), carbon nanofiber (CNF) and carbon black (CB) as conductive additives were subsequently investigated by cycling them at current densities of 0.1 A/g and 1.0 A/g. It was found that the SWCNT sample exhibits a stable cycling performance with the highest discharge capacity when cycled at 0.1 A/g, followed by MWCNT, CNF and lastly, CB sample. However, when the batteries were cycled at 1.0 A/g, it was found that the MWCNT sample overtook the SWCNT sample in terms of discharge capacity, while the CNF and CB samples exhibited largely similar performance. It was also observed that for both cycling current densities, the CNT samples displayed the best capacity retention, followed by the CNF and, lastly, the CB samples.