Pulse electrodeposition of Sn-Ni-Fe alloys and deposit characterisation for Li-ion battery electrode applications

Abstract: Characterisation of Sn-Ni-Fe ternary alloy deposits obtained by pulse electrodeposition show that novel alloys of varying composition can be successfully deposited exhibiting amorphous structures using specific on/off pulse plating parameters for electrodeposition in combination with an electrolyte based on gluconate as a complexing agent. The deposits obtained exhibited high quality bright metallic surface morphologies combined with a distinct pronounced spherical/nodular grain structure across a range of average current densities. The influence of on/off period pulse current and the effect of the average current density on the surface morphology of the electrodeposited films were studied using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The cathode efficiency results obtained show that the pulse electrodeposition process chosen is significantly more efficient than the constant current electrodeposition. Results suggest that the substrate surface deformation condition and preparation are critically important in achieving a surface morphology suitable for an effective Sn-Ni-Fe alloy battery electrode. The alloy deposits with a morphology, which exhibits a high surface area per unit volume, are shown to be promising as an alternative anode material for lithium ion batteries.