Ultrafine tin nanocrystallites encapsulated in mesoporous carbon nanowires: scalable synthesis and excellent electrochemical properties for rechargeable lithium ion batteries.

A morphology-conserved transformation yields Sn@C nanowires (UTP@CW, ∼21 wt% carbon and ∼77 wt% tin) with a high encapsulation density of ultrafine tin nanoparticles in porous carbon nanowires, which exhibit excellent reversible capacities and cycling performance for lithium ion batteries, especially at high current rates.