Results and Discussion
TEM images of the mesoporous carbon (Fig. 1a,b) show well
ordered hexagonal arrays of mesopores with parallel one-
dimensional (1D) channels, confirming a 2D ordered hexagonal
mesostructure. The cell parameter estimated from the TEM images
is approximately 10 nm. These remarkable structural features
make it an ideal template for the synthesis of carbon-supported
SnO2 nanowire arrays by the infiltration of corresponding
precursor followed by partial template elimination. TEM image
of the carbon-supported SnO2 nanowire arrays (Fig. 1c) clearly
shows the formation of tin oxide nanowires with a diameter of
5 nm. This morphology can be confirmed by SEM image shown in
Fig. 1d. It is found that the nanowires are parallel aligned and
formed into a network. The formation of such nanowire network
rather than separated nanowires might be related to the presence
of micropores that are randomly distributed within the template
pore walls. During the infiltration process, tin oxide precursor was
also infiltrated into the microporous networks, leading to the
formation of the bridges that connect the SnO2 nanowires. Such
unique structure endows the nanowire arrays with enhanced
structural stability, which is important for practical utilization in
lithium-ion batteries.