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Transforming large-scale industrially produced carbon nanotubes to high-performance electrode materials for lithium-ion batteries

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 December 2011

Hong-Li Zhang*
Affiliation:
Center for Energy Efficient Materials and Institute for Collaborative Biotechnologies, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106
Daniel E. Morse*
Affiliation:
Center for Energy Efficient Materials and Institute for Collaborative Biotechnologies, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106
*
a)Address all correspondence to these authors. e-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

Large-scale industrial production of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) has recently become available, but there are relatively few reports of the investigation of these industrially produced bulk CNTs as potential electrode materials for electrochemical energy storage such as lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Here, we report our evaluation of the electrochemical performance of the industrially produced CNTs from one manufacturer and our utilization of a kinetically controlled, vapor diffusion synthesis method combined with in-situ carbothermal reduction to homogeneously grow nanocrystalline tin (Sn) particles (∼200 nm) in the matrix of the CNTs, yielding a Sn@CNTs composite. After surface coating with a layer of carbon coating (3–4 nm), this composite was transformed to a surface-modified Sn@CNTs composite that exhibited much higher reversible capacity, initial Coulombic efficiency, and rate capacity than the pristine CNTs as anode materials for LIB.

Type
Invited Feature Paper
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2011

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