Superior Cycling and Rate Performance of Micron‐Sized Tin Using Aqueous‐Based Binder as a Sustainable Anode for Lithium‐Ion Batteries

Abstract

Recent developments in Sn‐based anodes for lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs) mostly rely on nanosized Sn particles with a conventional nonaqueous polyvinylidene fluoride binder, which is a major obstacle for the commercialization of Sn anodes due to the additional processing steps involved. Herein, the micron‐sized Sn (10 μm) is demonstrated as an anode material for LIBs using carbonyl‐β‐cyclodextrin as an environmentally benign and low cost aqueous binder. The optimized Sn electrode exhibits a remarkable reversible capacity of 577 mAh g−1 at 0.1 C rate between 3 and 0.05 V. A capacity of 256 and 117 mAh g−1 is obtained at 1 and 5 C, respectively, with a capacity retention of >80% after 1500 cycles. At 0.3 C lithiation rate, a delithiation capacity of 340 mAh g−1 is obtained at 5 C. The reversible capacities and cyclic stability further improve when the lithiation voltage is decreased to 0.025 V. The capacities at 0.1, 1, and 5 C are 723, 506, and 315 mAh g−1, respectively. A delithiation capacity of 478 mAh g−1 is obtained at 5 C at 0.3 C lithiation rate. It is believed that this method paves the way for using micron‐sized Sn as a sustainable anode material for LIBs.