Ultrafast preparation of three-dimensional porous tin–graphene composites with superior lithium ion storage

Three-dimensional porous Sn–graphene composites have been prepared on Ni foam by an easy, binder-free, low-cost and ultrafast electrophoretic deposition method. The structure and morphology of the as-prepared composite material are characterized by X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, high resolution transmission electron microscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy and elemental analysis. The lithium storage performance of the three-dimensional porous Sn–graphene anode is evaluated by cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charge–discharge cycling, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements. Results show that the composite material with a graphene content of 6.1 wt% delivers a reversible capacity of 552 mA h g−1 after 200 cycles at a current density of 500 mA g−1. The synthetic approach presented in this work may provide a facile strategy for the preparation of three-dimensional porous metal–graphene composites.