Electroless Cu-plated Ni3Sn4 alloy used as anode material for lithium ion battery

Sn-based alloys are a new kind of anode material for lithium ion battery because of their high specific capacity. Ni3Sn4 alloy was prepared by high-energy ball-milling and was electroless plated with copper to form a composite. The powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern showed that the ball-milled alloy was composed of Ni3Sn4 and a small amount of SnO and Ni. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) observation showed that Cu electroless-plated on the surface of Ni3Sn4 alloy were particles. The electrochemical performance of Cu-plated alloy was superior to that of ball-milled one. Due to the formation of solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) and the reduction of the oxide, the coulombic efficiency was 46% for the first cycle. But the efficiency keep over 99% in the following 100 cycles, and the specific capacity was stable. The Cu-plated Ni3Sn4 alloy will be a promising anode material for lithium ion battery.