A novel nanosheets-coated multi-layered SnO2@NiMoO4 microsphere as high-performance Li-ion battery anode.

• A novel multi-layered SnO 2 @NiMoO 4 composite is developed for Li-ion battery anode. • The dense NiMoO 4 nanosheets on SnO 2 shorten the Li-ion transfer pathways. • SnO 2 @NiMoO 4 anode exhibits a high capacity. • A well-recoverable rate-performance is achieved. [Display omitted] High-performance anodes are highly needed for lithium-ion batteries to achieve high capacity and energy density. Here, a strategy of combining hollow yolk-shell structure and surface modification is reported to improve the capacity of anode. As a demonstrating case study, a nanosheets-coated multiple-layered SnO 2 @NiMoO 4 composite is prepared through a simple hydrothermal method. The results show that the multilayered SnO 2 microspheres and NiMoO 4 nanosheets would exhibit a synergistic effect, which efficiently improves the electrochemical properties of Li-ion battery anode. During the cycling, the hollow multilayered SnO 2 microspheres coated by NiMoO 4 nanosheets maintain a robust structure, and have a long cycle life. The reversible capacity of SnO 2 @NiMoO 4 anode is as high as 1109 mAh g−1 at 400 mA g−1 for 250 cycles, which is competitive to the bare SnO 2 and some other reports, indicating a potential for developing high-performance Li-ion battery systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]