NANOPARTICLES ON 3D CURRENT COLLECTOR FOR HIGHLY EFFICIENT AND DURABLE ENERGY STORAGE

Abstract

Metallic Tin is a promising anode material for lithium ion batteries because of its high energy density, electrical conductivity and market availability. However, Tin based anodes typically experience limited cycle life resulting from extreme mechanical stress during lithiation. The mechanical stress leads to volumetric change and consequent unstable growth of solid electrolyte interface (SEI) during cycling. Nano-sizing is an effective way to reduce mechanical stress and prolong the cycle life of tin based electrode. However, small particle size means numerous difficulties in the fabrication process and might easily lead to agglomeration issues. In this study, free standing tin nanoparticles have been synthesized in-situ on 3D electrodes. Further, mechanically stable carbon based structural modifiers have also been employed to reinforce these electrodes. Best performing composite electrode delivered a high specific capacity of 917mAh/g and a capacity retention of greater than 66% after 150 cycles.