3D Sn-Based Anodes for Solid State Rechargeable Batteries

Abstract

Recent rapid technological progress in various fields of industry and daily life has been driven by miniaturization of electronics. The devices for various applications such as medical devices, logic and memory circuits, and various sensors have been drastically reduced to smaller dimensions with vastly improved performance. Limited performance of batteries is one of the most critical problems to be tackled for sustainable technological advances and to allow for further development of novel and future technologies.Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) exhibit excellent cycle performance and high energy capacity and thus are the best choice to power miniaturized devices. However, the current architecture used in LIBs’ electrodes limits their energy and power densities. Furthermore, safety issues arising from flammable liquid electrolytes and lithium dendrite growth upon cycling still remain as the major challenges for implementation of LIBs in this area. Advanced architectures and materials are needed to design high performance LIBs with increased energy storage capacity per unit volume while maintaining a small footprint area.A three-dimensional (3D) architecture design of the battery electrodes can remarkably enhance the energy and power densities of conventional LIBs. In this regard, we report a unique 3D architecture anode designed for all-solid battery and fabricated by electrodeposition of ultrathin Ni3Sn4 intermetallic alloy onto a commercially available nickel foam current collector from an aqueous electrolyte. The X-ray diffraction results obtained from three-dimensional electrodes indicated that the main phase of electrodeposited alloys was Ni3Sn4. The designed three-dimensional electrode demonstrated a high discharge capacity of 843,75 mAh g-1 during initial cycles and a stable cycle performance over prolonged cycling. The high surface area of the electrode and short Li+-ions diffusion paths along with suppression of volume expansion provided by the proposed 3D structure and Ni inactive matrix play a key role in improving the performance of the electrode.AcknowledgementsThis work was supported by the project 091019CRP2114 “Three-Dimensional All Solid State Rechargeable Batteries” from Nazarbayev University.