Electrochemical performance of nanostructured amorphous Co3Sn2 intermetallic compound prepared by a solvothermal route

A nanostructured amorphous Co3Sn2 intermetallic compound was prepared by a solvothermal route. The microstructure and the electrochemical performance were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), galvanostatic cycling, and ex situ XRD. It was found that the as-prepared material is in nanoscale and is amorphous. The amorphous Co3Sn2 shows a first specific capacity of 363 mA h g−1 compared to 92 mA h g−1 for the crystalline one prepared by annealing the amorphous material. Ex situ XRD investigation shows that the amorphous Co3Sn2 undergoes a crystallization process during cycling, which leads to the capacity fade.