Interconnected Tin Disulfide Nanosheets Grown on Graphene for Li-Ion Storage and Photocatalytic Applications

Reduced graphene oxide (RGO) nanosheet-supported SnS₂ nanosheets are prepared by a one-step microwave-assisted technique. These SnS₂ nanosheets are linked with each other and dispersed uniformly on RGO surface. The SnS₂-RGO sheet-on-sheet nanostructure exhibits good electrochemical performances as an anode material for lithium ion batteries. It shows larger-than-theoretical reversible capacities at 0.1 <i>C</i> and excellent high-rate capability at 1 <i>C</i> and 5 <i>C</i>. The composite is also for the first time identified as an excellent visible light-driven catalyst of rhodamine B and phenol with high degradation efficiencies. The removal rates of rhodamine B and phenol are 100 and 83.2%, respectively, for the SnS₂-RGO composite, whereas these values are only 64.8 and 51.5% for pristine SnS₂ after the same irradiation times. The outstanding electrochemical or photocatalytic performances of the composite have been attributed to the complementary effect of RGO and SnS₂ in the perfect sheet-on-sheet composition nanostructure