Electrodeposited, High Surface-Area Intermetallic Anodes for Lithium Ion Batteries

1. C W R 40 μm Electrodeposited, High Surface-Area Intermetallic Anodes for Lithium Ion Batteries Dr. Lynn Trahey and Prof. Harold H. Kung – Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University In collaboration with Dr. Michael M. Thackeray and Dr. John T. Vaughey – Argonne National Laboratory Electrodeposition Setup • Intermetallic anodes composed of Cu-Sn-Sb compounds offer high gravimetric and volumetric capacities for Li-ion storage • Electrodeposition is a versatile and low-cost synthetic method for anodes with strong electrical connections to the current collector • High surface-area copper foams, used as “3-D” current collectors, allows room for anode material expansion, thus improving cycle life • Electrodes characterized by SEM, EDS, XRD, and 4-point Nanoprobe before and after coin cell cycling • Electrodeposited intermetallic anodes performing better than traditional laminated counterparts and have opened many routes for future research endeavors Capacity (mAh/g) Deposition of Cu-foam current collectors and intermetallic materials are performed in 3-electrode cells, as depicted above. W = working electrode R = reference electrode C = counter electrode Cycle Number Above: Capacity vs. cycle number for 3-D Cu6Sn5-Sn electrodes in lithium half cells. L. Trahey, J. T. Vaughey, H. H. Kung, M. M. Thackeray, J. Electrochem. Soc., 2009, 156, A385. Above: Scanning electron micrograph of Cu2Sb intermetallic compound electrodeposited onto Cu-foam current collector