Ternary Sn–Sb–Co alloy film as new negative electrode for lithium-ion cells

Ternary Sn–Sb–Co alloy film was successfully prepared by the co-electroplating method using an aqueous solution bath containing SnCl2·2H2O, CoCl2, SbCl3, Na2C4H4O6·2H2O, K3C6H5O7·H2O, and gelatine. The alloy composition was found to be mainly controllable by the amount of Na2C4H4O6·2H2O and SbCl3 in the plating bath. The Sn–Sb–Co film electrode with a composition of 75.4% Sn, 6.5% Sb, and 18.1% Co gave an initial discharge capacity of 380 mAh g−1. The capacity gradually increased from the 1st to the 10th cycle and was then stabilized at a larger value of 580 mAh g−1. Furthermore, the electrode was found to give better cycle performance compared to binary Sn–Co and Sn–Sb alloys.