From Checkerboard-Like Sand Barriers to 3D Cu@CNF Composite Current Collectors for High-Performance Batteries

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Energy Storage

Background:

• Current collectors are crucial for electrochemical cell performance, but efficient and cost-effective designs remain a challenge.
• Traditional copper current collectors face limitations in meeting the demands of next-generation energy storage devices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and fabricate a novel 3D checkerboard-like composite current collector using copper and carbon nanofibers (Cu@CNF).
• To evaluate the electrochemical performance of batteries utilizing this advanced current collector for lithium-ion applications.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a 3D checkerboard-like Cu@CNF composite current collector with patterned grooves and amorphous carbon nanofibers.
• Electrochemical testing of lithium-ion batteries employing the novel current collector compared to traditional copper collectors.

Main Results:

• The Cu@CNF composite current collector enabled a reversible capacity of 410.1 mAh g⁻¹, exceeding the theoretical capacity of carbonaceous materials.
• Batteries demonstrated improved capacity retention, maintaining over 84.9% after 50 cycles.
• Significant improvements of 66.2% in reversible capacity and 42.6% in capacity retention were observed compared to traditional copper collectors.

Conclusions:

• The 3D checkerboard-like Cu@CNF composite current collector shows excellent electrochemical performance for lithium-ion batteries.
• This composite current collector presents an attractive alternative to traditional collectors for anodes in high-power energy storage systems.