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A current collector, which connects the electrode-active material electronically to the external circuit, is a critical component of an alkali-metal-ion battery. However, it is the least investigated component, especially toward any damage done upon supporting dimensional changes of electrode-active materials during alkali-metal-ion insertion/removal. Against this backdrop, orientation imaging microscopy, together with kernel average misorientation analysis, presents strong evidence toward the occurrence of lattice distortion/deformation, increases of local misorientation, and geometrically necessary dislocations of Cu current collector, in significant terms, upon supporting electrochemical lithiation/delithiation of Si. Creation of such lattice defects also decreases the electronic conductivity of the current collector, thus interfering with its main function. All of the above logically contribute to instability and capacity fade of the electrode. Interestingly, the presence of a graphene-based interlayer between a-Si and Cu suppresses the above damages, thus contributing to the improvement in cyclic stability by protecting not only the active material but also the current collector.

Thin diamond films prepared by the hot filament chemical vapour deposition (HFCVD) method at various deposition pressures have been characterized using a variety of spectroscopic techniques. Interpretation of the spectral details have provided useful information about the nature of the films. Deposition pressure appears to affect the quality of the diamond films which is reflected in terms of the position and width of the characteristic Raman peak of diamond. Raman spectra of the films prepared at low deposition pressures showed the presence of a sharp peak at ~ 1332 cm-l characteristic of the T2g mode of diamond. The study of the effect of deposition pressure on the diamond growth, shows that in the range between 20 torr and 60 torr, there is little effect on the width and the shift of the 1332 cm-1 Raman peak. However, at higher pressures the peak showed a blue shift and was considerably broadened. These studies indicate the development of strain in the lattice due to the introduction of unetched hydride layer, at higher deposition pressures, as well as distortions in the lattice leading to partial lifting of the degeneracy of the T2g mode. A broad band corresponding to the non-diamond phase (which exists at the grain boundaries, interface or as inclusions inside the grain), which can be attributed to the effect of hydrogen impurity creeping into the lattice at higher deposition pressures is also observed. SEM and XRD patterns have confirmed the dominance of diamond phase in these films.