Evidence of Copper Separation in Lithiated Cu6Sn5 Lithium-Ion Battery Anodes

Intermetallics such as Cu6Sn5, NiSi2, and CuGa2 etc., are promising candidate materials to replace carbon-based lithium-ion battery anodes. However, the lithiation reactions of these anodes often involve the separation of the inactive phases, a slow process that retards the lithiation kinetics and deactivates their role as a stress buffer. This research visualizes the separated Cu in a lithiated Cu6Sn5 anode by advanced transmission electron microscopy techniques. Cu nanospheres of 3-4 nm are found homogeneously distributed in both Li(13+y) Sn-5 and Li13Cu6Sn5 phases, suggesting that Cu is transported by long-range diffusion from the reaction site at the Li(13+y)Sn5/Li13Cu6Sn5 phase boundaries.