Electrodeposition of Pure Phase Snsb As Anode Material for Lithium- and Sodium- Ion Batteries

Abstract

Commercial industries currently utilize graphite as the primary lithium anode material for secondary batteries. Graphite’s gravimetric capacity, however, has already been fully utilized and materials with higher capacities are more desirable for the advancement of next generation applications, such as electric vehicles. Of these materials, intermetallic alloys such as SnSb are of interest due to their ability to store multiple alkali metals per metal center, resulting in higher gravimetric and volumetric capacities. Electrodeposition is a promising method to produce these alloy anodes, as it can control the particle morphology, size, thickness, composition, and is easily scalable to larger productions. In this work, we have successfully synthesized pure SnSb by electrodeposition which, based on the authors’ knowledge, is the first occurrence to date. The synthesis is carefully analyzed through tools and techniques such as cyclic voltammetry, scanning electron microscopy, and x-ray diffraction. Electrochemical testing of the electrodeposited SnSb samples showed promising performance of the material, with long cycle life and high rate capabilities as both lithium- and sodium- ion battery anodes. It is also found that purity of the material has an evident impact on the electrochemical performance of the electrode, in which control of the purity is important to the material’s cycling lifetime.