Binder-free Sn/Graphene Nanocomposites Prepared by Electrophoretic Deposition for Anode Materials in Lithium Ion Batteries

Nanocomposites consisting of Sn nanoparticles and graphene oxide (GO) were electrophoretically deposited onto Cu current collectors that was used for anodes in Li ion batteries (LIBs). In order to optimize the electrochemical performance of nanocomposites as an anode material by controlling the oxygen functionality, the GO was subjected to O-3 treatment prior to electrophoretic deposition (EPD). During thermal reduction of the GO in the nanocomposites, the Sn nanoparticles were reduced in size, along with the formation of SnO and/or SnO2 at a small fraction, relying on the oxygen functionalities of the GO. The variation in the duration of time for the O-3 irradiation resulted in a small change in total oxygen content, but in a significantly different fraction of each functional group in the GO, which influenced the Sn nanoparticle size and the amount of SnO (and/or SnO2). As a result, the EPD films prepared with the GO that possessed the least amount of carboxylic groups (made by treating GO in an O-3 environment for 3 h) showed the best performance, when compared with the nanocomposites composed of untreated GO or GO that was O-3-treated for a duration of less than 3 h.