Bi and Sn particles embedded in ZIF-8-derived porous carbon as anode for lithium and sodium storage

Recently, Bi element shows superior and stable performance as a battery anode material candidate for Li-ion and Na-ion storage. However, the challenge is the enormous volume change in the cycling procedure of alloy-type materials that could lead to pulverization of the electrode and gradual reduction in its capacitance. To counter the same, porous carbon and Sn were chosen as cushion layers for Bi. As a result, Bi and Sn embedded in ZIF-8-derived three-dimensional porous carbon (Bi/Sn@3D-C) composite was specifically designed as an electrode material for Li-ion and Na-ion storage. The electrochemical performance of Bi/Sn@3D-C, Bi@3D-C, and Sn@3D-C is compared. The discharge capacity of Bi/Sn@3D-C remains 632.0 mA h g −1 (at a rate of 0.1 A g −1 ) after 120 cycles for Li-ion store, and after 50 cycles, the specific capacity of the electrode reaches 291.5 mA h g −1 in sodium-ion battery. Graphical abstract Bi, Sn, and porous carbon composite—Bi/Sn@3D-C was designed as anode material for LIBs and SIBs.