High capacity 3D structured tin-based electroplated Li-ion battery anodes

Abstract 3D structured porous electrodes have been considered as a possible solution for accommodating the volume change of alloying lithium ion battery anode materials during cycling. However, lab-scale porous electrodes tend to be thin, and the loading of the activity materials is also small, the combination of which results in electrodes with impractically low areal and volumetric capacities. Here, we develop a high areal and volumetric capacity 3D-structured Sn/C anode by using a two steps electroplating process. An electrode with a 20%v/v Sn loading exhibits a high volumetric/areal capacity of ∼879 mA h/cm3/6.59 mA h/cm2 after 100 cycles at 0.5 C and a good rate performance of about 750 mA h/cm3 and 5.5 mA h/cm2 (delithiation) at 10 C in a half-cell configuration. The 3D Sn/C anode also shows good compatibility with a commercial LCO cathode in a full cell configuration.