Metallic Negative Electrode Materials for Rechargeable Nonaqueous Batteries

Metallic negative electrode materials for nonaqueous lithium‐ion batteries were prepared, characterized, and demonstrated. The materials with the best electrical performance are nickel‐tin alloys, have small particle size, and can incorporate up to 550 mAh/g of lithium. These materials offer specific capacity, capacity density, and reversibility comparable to tin oxides without the high irreversible capacity that has precluded tin oxide commercialization. When cycled galvanostatically, the nickel‐tin alloys offer low capacity fade while reversibly incorporating lithium up to 327 mAh/g or 2740 mAh/mL, over four times the capacity density typical for current carbonaceous Li‐ion negative electrode materials. The irreversible capacity associated with these materials is 26%, or 76 mAh/g, when utilized at 300 mAh/g. When utilized in prototype Li‐ion cells vs . either a LiNi 1 − x Co x O 2 or LiMn 2 O 4 cathode material, low capacity fade was demonstrated while the metallic negative electrode material was utilized at 1500 mAh/mL.