Controlling the Lithiation-Induced Strain and Charging Rate in Nanowire Electrodes by Coating

• DOI: 10.1021/nn200770p
• Publication Date: 2011-05-04T21:46:35Z
• Authors: Li Qiang Zhang; Xiao Hua Liu; Yang Liu; Shan Huang; Ting Zhu; Liangjin Gui; Scott X. Mao; Zhi Zhen Ye; Chong Min Wang; John P. Sullivan; Jian Yu Huang
• Keywords: Nanoengineering; Nanowire battery

The advanced battery system is critically important for a wide range of applications, from portable electronics to electric vehicles. Lithium ion batteries (LIBs) are presently the best performing ones, but they cannot meet requirements more demanding applications due limitations in capacity, charging rate, and cyclability. One leading cause those lithiation-induced strain (LIS) electrodes that can result high stress, fracture, capacity loss. Here we report that, by utilizing coating strategy, both rate LIS SnO2 nanowire be altered dramatically. nanowires coated with carbon, aluminum, or copper charged about 10 times faster than noncoated ones. Intriguingly, radial expansion was completely suppressed, resulting enormously reduced tensile stress at reaction front, as evidenced lack formation dislocations. These improvements attributed effective electronic conduction mechanical confinement coatings. Our work demonstrates nanoengineering enables simultaneous control electrical behaviors electrodes, pointing promising route building better LIBs.