The Electrochemical Properties of SnO₂ as Cathodes for Lithium Air Batteries

The Electrochemical Properties of SnO₂ as Cathodes for Lithium Air Batteries

Nano-sized $SnO_2$ powders were synthesized via a solvent thermal reaction using $SnClO_4$, NaOH, and ethylene glycol at $150^{\circ}C$. TGA, SEM, FT-IR, XRD, and Potentiostat/Galvanostat were employed to investigate the chemical and electrochemical characteristics of the synthesized $SnO_2$. The structure of $SnO_2$ was amorphous, and when heat treated at $500^{\circ}C$, it was transformed into a crystalline structure. The morphology obtained by SEM micrographs of the as-synthesized $SnO_2$ showed powder features that had diameters ranging 100 to 200 nm. The electrochemical performance of the crystalline $SnO_2$ as a Li-air battery cathode was better than that of the amorphous $SnO_2$. The specific capacity of the crystalline $SnO_2$ was at least 350 mAh/g at 10 mA/g discharge rate. However, there was some capacity loss of all the cells during the consecutive cycles. Keywords : Lithium-Air Battery.