An Approach to Make Macroporous Metal Sheets as Current Collectors for Lithium-Ion Batteries

A simple method and approach is described to produce macroporous metal sheets as current collectors for lithium-ion batteries. This method is based on slurry blending, tape casting, sintering, and reducing of metal oxides and produces a uniform macroporous metal sheet. As an example, a macroporous copper sheet was prepared and used as the current collector for a silicon thin-film anode material. Such a porous copper substrate allows Si to have a much better adhesion, lower electrical contact resistance, higher capacity, capacity retention, and longer cycle life than on surface-roughened Cu foil and smooth Cu foil. This methodology produces very limited wastes and is also adaptable to many other materials such as Ni porous sheets at an industrial-scale production that is easy to be achieved.