•Sb2O4/rGO composite was prepared through a facile one step solvothermal method.•Sb2O4 nanoparticles were uniformly anchored on rGO sheets.•The reduction of GO and oxidation of Sb2O3 to Sb2O4 can be achieved concurrently.•The Sb2O4/rGO composite showed high reversible capacity and good cyclability.Sb2O4/reduced graphene oxide (Sb2O4/rGO) composite was synthesized through a facile one-step solvothermal approach using Sb2O3 and graphene oxide as raw material. Characterization shows that Sb2O4 nanoparticles were uniformly anchored on rGO sheets, and the obtained Sb2O4/rGO composite delivered a high reversible specific capacity of 1170 mA h g−1 and a good cyclability of 798 mA h g−1 after 200 cycles at a current of 100 mA g−1 when used as a candidate anode material for lithium-ion batteries, benefiting from the enhanced electrochemical activity of Sb2O4 nanoparticles, the maximum utilization of conductive rGO sheets, and also the synergistic effect between them.

•Sulfur-reduced graphene oxide composite was synthesized via a facile one-step solid-state method.•The GO was reduced by molten S, and meanwhile formed a homogeneous composite with sulfur.•The as-obtained S@FD-rGO electrode showed good electrochemical performance.A novel sulfur-reduced graphene oxide composite was prepared via a facile one-step solid-state method. The composite was characterized by means of XRD, Raman, XPS, SEM, and TEM (HR-TEM) techniques. After being directly heated in the presence of sulfur powder, the freeze-dried graphene oxide was reduced, and a homogeneous composite containing sulfur simultaneously formed. The obtained composite display good electrochemical performance when used as a cathode for lithium-sulfur batteries.

•Sb2S3/C composite nanorods were synthesized successfully by an l-cysteine-assisted solvothermal treatment.•Sb2S3/C composite delivered a high reversible specific capacity of 1084 mA h g−1.•Sb2S3/C composite showed a good cyclability and a superior rate capability.Hierarchical Sb2S3/C composite nanorods are synthesized successfully by a novel l-cysteine-assisted solvothermal treatment. The as-synthesized Sb2S3/C composite is found to display a high reversible specific capacity of 1084 mA h g−1 at a current density of 100 mA g−1, a good cyclability of 960 mA h g−1 at a current density of 100 mA g−1 after 30 cycles, and a superior rate capability of 1019 mA h g−1 at a current density of 4000 mA g−1 when evaluated as an electrode candidate material for lithium-ion batteries.