TY - JOUR
T1 - Direct Growth of Si, Ge, and Si–Ge Heterostructure Nanowires Using Electroplated Zn
T2 - An Inexpensive Seeding Technique for Li-Ion Alloying Anodes
AU - Kilian, Seamus
AU - McCarthy, Kieran
AU - Stokes, Killian
AU - Adegoke, Temilade Esther
AU - Conroy, Michele
AU - Amiinu, Ibrahim Saana
AU - Geaney, Hugh
AU - Kennedy, Tadhg
AU - Ryan, Kevin M.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Wiley-VCH GmbH
PY - 2021/3/11
Y1 - 2021/3/11
N2 - A scalable and cost-effective process is used to electroplate metallic Zn seeds on stainless steel substrates. Si and Ge nanowires (NWs) are subsequently grown by placing the electroplated substrates in the solution phase of a refluxing organic solvent at temperatures >430 °C and injecting the respective liquid precursors. The native oxide layer formed on reactive metals such as Zn can obstruct NW growth and is removed in situ by injecting the reducing agent LiBH4. The findings show that the use of Zn as a catalyst produces defect-rich Si NWs that can be extended to the synthesis of Si–Ge axial heterostructure NWs with an atomically abrupt Si–Ge interface. As an anode material, the as grown Zn seeded Si NWs yield an initial discharge capacity of 1772 mAh g−1 and a high capacity retention of 85% after 100 cycles with the active participation of both Si and Zn during cycling. Notably, the Zn seeds actively participate in the Li-cycling activities by incorporating into the Si NWs body via a Li-assisted welding process, resulting in restructuring the NWs into a highly porous network structure that maintains a stable cycling performance.
AB - A scalable and cost-effective process is used to electroplate metallic Zn seeds on stainless steel substrates. Si and Ge nanowires (NWs) are subsequently grown by placing the electroplated substrates in the solution phase of a refluxing organic solvent at temperatures >430 °C and injecting the respective liquid precursors. The native oxide layer formed on reactive metals such as Zn can obstruct NW growth and is removed in situ by injecting the reducing agent LiBH4. The findings show that the use of Zn as a catalyst produces defect-rich Si NWs that can be extended to the synthesis of Si–Ge axial heterostructure NWs with an atomically abrupt Si–Ge interface. As an anode material, the as grown Zn seeded Si NWs yield an initial discharge capacity of 1772 mAh g−1 and a high capacity retention of 85% after 100 cycles with the active participation of both Si and Zn during cycling. Notably, the Zn seeds actively participate in the Li-cycling activities by incorporating into the Si NWs body via a Li-assisted welding process, resulting in restructuring the NWs into a highly porous network structure that maintains a stable cycling performance.
KW - axial heterostructures
KW - electroplating
KW - lithium-ion batteries
KW - semiconductor nanowires
KW - zinc seeds
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85100162356&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1002/smll.202005443
DO - 10.1002/smll.202005443
M3 - Article
C2 - 33475259
AN - SCOPUS:85100162356
SN - 1613-6810
VL - 17
SP - -
JO - Small
JF - Small
IS - 10
M1 - 2005443
ER -