High-capacity and ultrastable lithium storage in SnSe2-SnO2@NC microbelts enabled by heterostructures

The ingenious design of high-performance tin-based lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) is challenging due to their poor conductivity and drastic volume change during continuous lithiation/delithiation cycles. Herein, we present a strategy to confine heterostructured SnSe₂-SnO₂ nanoparticles into macroscopic nitrogen-doped carbon microbelts (SnSe₂-SnO₂@NC) as anode materials for LIBs. The composites exhibit an excellent specific capacity of 436.3 mA h g^-1 even at 20 A g^-1 and an ultrastable specific capacity of 632.7 mA h g^-1 after 2800 cycles at 5 A g^-1. Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations reveal that metallic SnSe₂-SnO₂ heterostructures endow the lithium atoms at the interface with high adsorption energy, which promotes the anchoring of Li atoms, and enhances the electrical conductivity of the anode materials. This demonstrates the superior Li⁺ storage performance of the SnSe₂-SnO₂@NC microbelts as anode materials.

Electrospun Mesoporous InVO4 /TiO2 Nanobelts with Enhanced Photocatalytic Properties

In the present paper, mesoporous InVO₄ /TiO₂ nanobelts with diameter about 400 nm have been synthesized by elaborately designed electrospinning process. The microstructures of InVO₄ /TiO₂ nanobelts are characterized in detail, and their photoelectrocatalytic properties are comprehensively investigated by the photocatalytic degradation tests with tetracycline (TTC) and rhodamine B (RhB) waste water. Furthermore, the energy bandgap and density of states of orthorhombic InVO₄ and anatase TiO₂ are modeled and analyzed by density functional theory. Compared with single InVO₄ nanobelts and TiO₂ nanofibers, mesoporous InVO₄ /TiO₂ nanobelts possess the extraordinary photocatalytic efficiencies and exceptional cycle performances, which may be ascribed to the successful construction of heterostructures between InVO₄ and TiO₂ and unique one-dimensional belt structures.