Facile Synthesis of Nickel Nanofoam Architectures for Applications in Li‐Ion Batteries. Issue 3 (1st September 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Liu, Chueh; Li, Changling; Wang, Wei; Ozkan, Mihrimah; Ozkan, Cengiz S.
• Is Part Of: Energy technology. Volume 5:Issue 3(2017:Mar.)
• Page Start: 422
• Page End: 427
• Publication Date: 2016-09-01
• Subjects: energy storage -- lithium-ion batteries -- nanomaterials -- nickel -- silicon; Energy development -- Periodicals; Power resources -- Periodicals; 333.79
• DOI: 10.1002/ente.201600306
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2194-4288

Abstract

Abstract: Metal foams are utilized in various applications, such as in the automotive industries and for electrochemical devices. Herein, a Ni nanofoam is synthesized using a facile method for Li‐ion batteries. Self‐aligned Ni wires or randomly linked webs are produced with or without magnetic field, respectively. Ni granular beads or spiky clusters form at 370 or 450 °C, respectively. The surface area of Ni wires is increased by oxalic acid etching at 80 °C using 5–30 wt % water, leading to Ni oxalate nanosheets, nanowires (NWs), or nanoleaves. Metallic Ni NWs are obtained by reducing Ni oxalate NWs with H2 at 350 °C in 10 min. Carbon‐coated Si nanoparticles on Ni NW foam (C‐Si NP/Ni NWF) show 38 % rate enhancement (1222 vs. 889 mAh g −1 ) in comparison to C‐Si NP/Cu foil. Higher stability of C‐Si NP/Ni NWF with a capacity retention of 91 % is reached vs. 73 % for C‐Si NP/Cu foil over 180 cycles. The ambient‐pressure solution process with low temperature and fast reaction time could make large‐scale production plausible for these nanoarchitectures. Abstract : Nickel and diming : Ni nanofoam is synthesized in three steps from Ni wire to Ni oxalate nanowire and into Ni nanowire foam (Ni NWF). The electrochemical performance of the Li‐ion battery anode made from Si nanoparticles loaded onto Ni NWF is superior to loading on traditional Cu foil. The solution‐based synthesis at ambient pressure, short process time, and low temperature should inspire novel synthetic routes for other metal nanofoams in such applications.