Fabrication and Characterization of Tin Nanorod Electrodes for Lithium Ion Rechargeable Batteries

Abstract

One of the most important problems in utilizing a pure tin anode for lithium ion rechargeable batteries is its poor cyclability due to mechanical fatigue caused by volume changes during lithium insertion and extraction processes. To overcome this problem, tin nanorod electrodes were fabricated by an anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) template-assisted growth method. The structural and electrochemical properties of the tin nanorod electrode were examined using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, cyclic voltammetry, and galvanostatic cycling. Scanning electron microscopic observations revealed that the copper substrate was covered with uniformly distributed tin nanorods with average diameters of about 250 nm. Electrochemical test results showed that the capacity retention and the rate capabilities of the tin nanorod electrodes were better than those of the planar electrodes. At the tenth cycle, the capacity of the tin nanorod electrode at the C/10 rate still remained 80% of that of the first cycle. Even at the 1C rate, the capacities remained larger than 540 mAh·g-1.