Ni-P Coated Sn Powders as Anode for Lithium Secondary Batteries

Abstract

Nano-sized Sn particles were coated with Ni-P layer using an electroless deposition method and their anodic performance was tested for lithium secondary batteries. Uniform coating layers were obtained, of which the thickness was controlled by varying the Ni_2+ concentration in the plating bath. It was found that the Ni-P layer plays two important roles in improving the anodic performance of Sn powder electrode. First, it prevents the inter-particle aggregation between Sn particles during the charge/discharge process. Second, it provides an electrical conduction pathway to the Sn particles, which allows an electrode fabrication without an addition of conductive carbon. A pseudo-optimized sample showed a good cyclability and high capacity (>400mAh g_1) even without conductive carbon loading.