Fabrication and properties of three-dimensional macroporous Sn-Ni alloy electrodes of high preferential (110) orientation for lithium ion batteries

One of the most important problems in utilizing Sn-based intermetallic compound anodes is its poor cyclability due to mechanical fatigue caused by volume change during lithium insertion and extraction processes. To overcome this problem, a new facile procedure to prepare three-dimensional (3D) macroporous materials of Sn-Ni alloy by using colloidal crystal template method is presented. The structural and electrochemical characteristics of 3D macroporous Sn-Ni alloy were examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), galvanostatic cycling. When used as a negative electrode for a rechargeable lithium battery, the 3D macroporous Sn-Ni alloy electrode delivered a reversible capacity of 536.1 mAh g(-1) up to 75th cycles. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.