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Novel hollow Sn–Cu composite nanoparticles anodes for Li-ion batteries prepared by galvanic replacement reaction

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Abstract

Nanostructured hollow Sn–Cu multi-phase composite nanoparticles anode that contains Sn and Cu6Sn5 was synthesized via galvanic replacement reaction using Sn nanoparticles as a sacrificial template. The sacrificial oxidation of Sn and simultaneous reduction of Cu on the surface because of the redox potential difference is proposed to account for the formation of hollow Sn–Cu nanostructures. The structural evolution of the Sn–Cu hollow nanoparticle, in the process of galvanic replacement and structure, composition changes during charge/discharge processes were studied based on scanning electron microscope, X-ray powder diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy investigations. The electrochemical properties of the samples were evaluated by galvanostatic discharge–charge cycling, cyclic voltammetry, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Compared with solid Sn–Cu nanoparticles, hollow Sn–Cu nanoparticles showed better capacity retention. The improved electrochemical performance may be attributed to the stable hollow structure and the combination of Cu6Sn5. The facile solution-based process and excellent cycling stability show great potential of the multi-phase Sn–Cu hollow composite nanoparticles as an anode material for lithium-ion batteries.

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Acknowledgments

This work was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 51143009 and 51273145).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, People’s Republic of China

    Xin Fan, Xiaona Tang, Daqian Ma, Peng Bi, Anni Jiang, Jin Zhu & Xinhua Xu

  2. Tianjin Key Laboratory of Composite and Functional Materials, Tianjin, 300072, People’s Republic of China

    Xinhua Xu

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  1. Xin Fan
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  2. Xiaona Tang
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  3. Daqian Ma
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  4. Peng Bi
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  6. Jin Zhu
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  7. Xinhua Xu
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Correspondence to Xinhua Xu.

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Fan, X., Tang, X., Ma, D. et al. Novel hollow Sn–Cu composite nanoparticles anodes for Li-ion batteries prepared by galvanic replacement reaction. J Solid State Electrochem 18, 1137–1145 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10008-013-2370-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10008-013-2370-2

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