Electrodeposition of Si and Sn-based Amorphous Films for High Energy Novel Electrode Materials

In this work we report the electrodeposition parameters of Sn-graphene films in aqueous solutions and silicon films in propylene carbonate. The galvanostatic electrodeposition of tin-graphene films from a sulfate-based acidic solution on copper substrates has been studied evaluating the effect of stirring on the morphology and the electrochemical performance. SEM analysis of films deposited galvanostatically at -10 mA.cm^-2 for 20 minutes at 25 °C reveals that electrodeposition is suitable to generate continuous and homogeneous films with thickness values in the micrometer range. XRD analysis shows many intermetallic Cu-Sn crystalline phases are formed, as opposed to a pure amorphous tin layer. So far, electrochemical characterization has only been performed over a short number of charge-discharge cycles. The galvanostatic electrodeposition of silicon from propylene carbonate in galvanostatic mode has been carried out, but is currently extremely challenging to obtain continuous and homogeneous films. The XRD characterization has suggested the possible presence of amorphous phases in the films deposited at -1.0 mA.cm^-2 for 30 minutes at 25 °C.