Abstract: Carbon aerogels were synthesized by supercritical drying method, then a carbon aerogels/SnSb composite was successfully prepared from carbon aerogels modification of SnSb by a simple chemical reduction method. Both the structure and the morphology of the SnSb and CA/SnSb powders were characterized by X-ray diffraction and SEM. The samples were used as active anode materials for lithium-ion batteries, and their cycle performance was examined by constant current charge-discharge cycling. The results show that carbon aerogels exhibited nano porous three-dimensional network structure, and CA/SnSb is obtained when the SnSb was modified by carbon aerogels. The feature of CA/SnSb was carbon aerogels and SnSb particles mutually staggered distribution, and carbon aerogels particles were contained in the network backbone, then reunion of CA/SnSb was greatly improved. The first discharge capacity of CA/SnSb is measured as 1120. 2 mAh·g-1 and a large reversible capacity of 557. 3 mAh· g-1 is observed after 50 cycles, which is far higher than that of SnSb without modification by carbon aerogels. The capacity retention of CA/SnSb was improved due to the improving of reunion and alleviating volume expansion during the charge-discharge process by addition of carbon aerogels.

Key words: Carbon aerogels were synthesized by supercritical drying method, then a carbon aerogels/SnSb composite was successfully prepared from carbon aerogels modification of SnSb by a simple chemical reduction method. Both the structure and the morphology of the SnSb and CA/SnSb powders were characterized by X-ray diffraction and SEM. The samples were used as active anode materials for lithium-ion batteries, and their cycle performance was examined by constant current charge-discharge cycling. The results show that carbon aerogels exhibited nano porous three-dimensional network structure, and CA/SnSb is obtained when the SnSb was modified by carbon aerogels. The feature of CA/SnSb was carbon aerogels and SnSb particles mutually staggered distribution, and carbon aerogels particles were contained in the network backbone, then reunion of CA/SnSb was greatly improved. The first discharge capacity of CA/SnSb is measured as 1120. 2 mAh·g-1 and a large reversible capacity of 557. 3 mAh· g-1 is observed after 50 cycles, which is far higher than that of SnSb without modification by carbon aerogels. The capacity retention of CA/SnSb was improved due to the improving of reunion and alleviating volume expansion during the charge-discharge process by addition of carbon aerogels.