Electrodeposition of Porous Sn-Ni-Cu Alloy Anode for Lithium-Ion Batteries from Nickel Matte in Deep Eutectic Solvents

Porous Sn-Ni-Cu alloy films have been prepared by electrodeposition on Ni foam from nickel matte in choline chloride/ethylene glycol (1: 2 molar ratio) based deep eutectic solvent (12CE DES). The electrodeposition process, the phase composition and morphology of the deposited Sn-Ni-Cu alloy films have been systematically investigated, the electrochemical performances of the porous Sn-Ni-Cu alloy films as anode material for lithium-ion batteries have also been evaluated. The results show that the deposited Sn-Ni-Cu alloy films mainly consist of CuNi₂Sn and Ni₃Sn₂ phases with porous structure. The cathodic potential has significant influence on the microstructures and electrochemical performances of the deposited Sn-Ni-Cu alloy films. The Sn-Ni-Cu alloy film electrodeposited at -0.4 V in 12CE DES dissolved with SnCl₂ and chlorinated nickel matte shows a high reversible capacity of 533 mAh g^-1 after 50 cycles. The excellent electrochemical performance can be attributed to the porous structure and the existence of Ni and Cu. It is suggested that the deposited Sn-Ni-Cu alloy is a promising candidate as anode material for lithium-ion batteries and can be simply deposited from abundant and inexpensive nickel matte in deep eutectic solvent.