Improved Synthesis of SnO Powder for Lithium-Ion Power Cells

An improved method of synthesis of crystalline tin monoxide (SnO) powder for use in anodes of lithium-ion electrochemical power cells has been developed. The carbon used in anodes of Li-ion cells is relatively expensive and difficult to produce, and SnO has been found potentially useful as an alternative anode material. One major disadvantage of the method heretofore followed in producing commercial crystalline SnO powder is that it involves heating. The improved method does not involve heating and thus offers the potential to reduce the cost, time, consumption of energy, and risk of contamination in the production of crystalline SnO powder. Fortuitously, it turns out that the improved method also yields powder with greater specific surface area, making it possible to fabricate electrodes with reversible charge/discharge capacities, for a fixed rate, greater than those of electrodes made from commercial crystalline SnO powder.