Conversion of Zn₂SnO₄ cubes into porous SnO₂ cubes and their enhanced performance as anode materials for lithium ion batteries

Porous SnO₂ cubes with high uniformity were prepared via a selective leaching strategy using Zn₂SnO₄ cubes as the starting material. The structural, morphological and electrochemical properties were investigated by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and electrochemical measurement respectively. The structural, morphological measurements show that the as prepared samples have particular 3D structure, porous surface, high purity phase and good crystallinity. Electrochemical measurement suggests that the porous SnO₂ cubes exhibit better cycling properties than that of the solid Zn₂SnO₄ cubes. The favourable structure of the porous SnO₂ leads to the observation of enhanced performance as anode materials for lithium ion batteries.