In Situ AFM Measurements of the Expansion and Contraction of Amorphous Sn-Co-C Films Reacting with Lithium

Abstract

In situ atomic force microscopy measurements of patterned amorphous Sn-Co-C sputtered films reacting with Li in an electrochemical cell have been made. Prismatic-shaped patches of Sn0.34Co0.19normalC0.47 were found to undergo reversible volume expansion of 175±5% [(Vfinal−Vinitial)∕Vinitial] without fracture. The a-Sn0.34Co0.19normalC0.47 was found to have a reversible specific capacity of 700±10mAh∕g when cycled vs a Li metal negative electrode.

Tin-based materials as negative electrodes for Li-ion batteries: Combinatorial approaches and mechanical methods

“…Using in situ AFM, Lewis et al [39] showed that sputter-deposited films of Sn 0.34 Co 0.19 C 0.47 expand and contract by 175% between the unlithiated and fully lithiated states. This material was measured for four charge-discharge cycles and the volume expansion changed very little between each cycle.…”

Lithium polyacrylate as a binder for tin–cobalt–carbon negative electrodes in lithium-ion batteries

“…Sn-based alloys have been intensively studied as negative electrode candidates for Li-ion batteries in the last decade because of their much higher specific and volumetric capacity compared with graphite [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14]. However, they suffer from large-volume expansion during lithiation, which presents a huge challenge for capacity retention.…”

Microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition of nano-structured Sn/C composite thin-film anodes for Li-ion batteries

“…The first commercially available amorphous tin-based composite anode was introduced to the market by Sony in 2006 [21], followed by detailed studies of Sn 0.34 Co 0.19 C 0.47 systems by Dahn et al [22], which demonstrated the capabilities of these electrodes in high energy Li-ion systems.…”