Electrodeposited nanostructured lead dioxide as a thin film electrode for a lightweight lead-acid battery

Thin films of nanostructured lead dioxide are investigated as a positive electrode material for a lightweight lead-acid battery. The films are obtained by constant current deposition from electrolytes of lead methanesulfonate in methanesulfonic acid. The films are tested in two conditions namely (a) cyclic voltammetry and (b) constant current battery cycling in sulfuric acid. The charge and discharge current density, charge density and charge efficiency are measured as a function of cycle number. The effect of deposition conditions, such as solution temperature (295 and 333 K), type of substrate and electrolyte additive (hexadecyltrimethylammonium hydroxide), on the electrochemical performance of the PbO2 in sulfuric acid is investigated. It is found that the as-deposited lead dioxide film is compact and nanostructured β-phase structure. Following successive cycling in sulfuric acid, the compact thin film gradually transforms into a porous microstructure consisting of positive active material (PbO2 and PbSO4), several tens of nanometres size. The charge density, discharge density and peak discharge current density of the PbO2 improve with cycling of the thin film electrode.

Research highlights
► Nanostructured Pb and PbO2 thin films for a lightweight lead-acid battery.
► A single step electrochemical synthesis of active materials.
► Electrodeposit the active materials (Pb and PbO2) from CH3SO3H and then use these as electrode materials for charge/discharge cycles in H2SO4.
► Transformation of thin film active materials to micro-porous, nanosized active materials.