Willow catkins as a kind of seasonal biomass are harmful to human health in terms of causing respiratory ailments and skin anaphylaxis every spring. To explore the high-value utilization of willow catkins, in this study, we attempt to develop a kind of tin-based anode materials with willow catkin derived carbon (WCC) as the matrix. A designed solvent-thermal method involving thiourea as stabilizer and acetone–H2O mixture as solvent has been employed to fabricate SnO2–WCC composites, which exhibit uniform deposition of well-dispersed SnO2 nanoparticles on the surface of WCC. As an anode material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), the SnO2–WCC composite delivered a stable discharge capacity of 565mAh g−1 at 100mA g−1 after 70 cycles and a good rate capability of 349mAh g−1 at 1000mA g−1. The high dispersity of SnO2 nanoparticles and high conductivity of WCC are both believed to contribute to the excellent electrochemical performances. These results suggest the potential of willow catkins derived carbonaceous materials applied in anode materials of LIBs and shed light on the creation of advanced carbon materials from other biomass materials towards energy storage applications.
