Brush electroplated CoSn2 alloy film for application in lithium-ion batteries

We report the application of CoSn2 alloy films deposited by brush electrodeposition as negative electrode, for the first time, in lithium-ion batteries. In this study, we prepared CoSn2 alloy film electrodes by brush electrodeposition on copper foil as a current collector. This technique is very convenient, because of its simplicity and short time process. We characterized the dense structure of the brush-plated CoSn2 alloy film electrodes by XRD, FE-SEM with EDX, and AFM studies. The initial discharge capacity of the electrodes was 336 mA h g−1 which increased to approximately 740 mA h g−1 at the 30th cycle. The charge capacity of 632 mA h g−1 at the 30th cycle corresponds to a coulombic efficiency of 85.4%. Thus, brush-plated CoSn2 alloy film is a promising electrode material for application in new-generation lithium-ion batteries.

► CoSn2 alloy film has been prepared by brush electroplating technique.
► This technique has been firstly applied for application in Li-ion batteries.
► The CoSn2 deposits consisted of many small spherical and dense structure.
► The coulombic efficiency is maintained as high as about 85.4% with good cycleability.