Graphene Networks Anchored with Sn@Graphene as Lithium Ion Battery Anode

Abstract

A facile and scalable in situ chemical vapor deposition (CVD) technique using metal precursors as a catalyst and a three-dimensional (3D) self-assembly of NaCl particles as a template is developed for one-step fabrication of 3D porous graphene networks anchored with Sn nanoparticles (5-30 nm) encapsulated with graphene shells of about 1 nm (Sn@G-PGNWs) as a superior lithium ion battery anode. In the constructed architecture, the CVD-synthesized graphene shells with excellent elasticity can effectively not only avoid the direct exposure of encapsulated Sn to the electrolyte and preserve the structural and interfacial stabilization of Sn nanoparticles but also suppress the aggregation of Sn nanoparticles and buffer the volume expansion, while the interconnected 3D porous graphene networks with high electrical conductivity, large surface area, and high mechanical flexibility tightly pin the core-shell structure of Sn@G and thus lead to remarkably enhanced electrical conductivity and structural integrity of the overall electrode. As a consequence, this 3D hybrid anode exhibits very high rate performance (1022 mAh/g at 0.2 C, 865 mAh/g at 0.5 C, 780 mAh/g at 1 C, 652 mAh/g at 2 C, 459 mAh/g at 5 C, and 270 mAh/g at 10 C, 1 C = 1 A/g) and extremely long cycling stability even at high rates (a high capacity of 682 mAh/g is achieved at 2 A/g and is maintained approximately 96.3% after 1000 cycles). As far as we know, this is the best rate capacity and longest cycle life ever reported for a Sn-based lithium ion battery anode.

Metallic Sn‐Based Anode Materials: Application in High‐Performance Lithium‐Ion and Sodium‐Ion Batteries

“…Up to now, people have designed many 3D anode structures, such as 3D nanostructures,188, 189 3D porous structures,190, 191, 192, 193 3D network structures,194, 195, 196, 197, 198 etc.…”

Critical Insight into the Relentless Progression Toward Graphene and Graphene‐Containing Materials for Lithium‐Ion Battery Anodes

“…It should be noticed that few papers [ 271,276,[401][402][403][404] have reported the evaluation of the energy and power for a single electrode in half-cell confi guration. As previously explained in Section 3.2 , we want to stress that this kind of calculation is not appropriate to assess the properties of electroactive materials, since no coupling with a cathode material was neither performed nor simulated.…”

“…RGO aerogels/TiO 2 nanocrystals, [ 270 ] CVD-synthesized porous graphene with anchored Sn nanoparticles, [ 271 ] Si nanoparticle/RGO hybrid on porous Ni foam, [ 272 ] 3D MoS 2 /RGO composite, [ 273 ] metal-oxide-coated 3D CVD-synthesized graphene hybrid [ 274 ] Ni 3 S 2 particles encapsulated with crumpled RGO [ 275 ] and 3D RGO network/porous Si spheres represent some of the most relevant examples. The electrochemical performances of those hybrids clearly demonstrates how the composite architecture infl uences the lithium-ion storage properties.…”

How to improve the stability and rate performance of lithium-ion batteries with transition metal oxide anodes

“…The tail for the rGO/CoO electrode at low frequency has higher slope than the CoO electrode, which indicates that the rGO/CoO electrode possesses lower lithium diffusion impedance. 48 The impedances both increased after 100 cycles, which may be attributed to the formation of SEI film. [49][50][51] But such increase in impedance does not lead the decline of capacity.…”