Fully encapsulated Sb2Se3/Sb/C nanofibers: Towards high-rate, ultralong-lifespan lithium-ion batteries

Both antimony selenide and antimony are promising anode materials for lithium-ion batteries. However, owing to the influence of the poor electronic conductivity of Sb 2 Se 3 and the large volume expansion of the two materials during the lithiation process, their electrochemical performance is limited and the practical application is restricted. In this work, for the first time, the hierarchical Sb 2 Se 3 and Sb particles fully encapsulated into carbon nanofibers (Sb 2 Se 3 /Sb/C nanofibers) have been in-situ synthesized by electrospinning followed by controlled annealing. Combining the advantages of high specific capacity of Sb 2 Se 3 , good electronic conductivities of Sb and C, and strong stability of C matrix, the Sb 2 Se 3 /Sb/C nanofibers electrode shows excellent lithium-storage performance. It achieves a high reversible capacity (764 mA h g −1 after 300 cycles at 0.1 A g −1 ), splendid ultralong cycling stability (429 mA h g −1 after 1000 cycles at 1 A g −1 ), and high rate capability (342 mA h g −1 at 5 A g −1 ). It demonstrates that Sb 2 Se 3 /Sb/C nanofibers are promising high-performance anode materials for lithium-ion batteries.