Solvent-Driven Transformation of Microsized Metal Particles into a Nanoporous Structure and Its Application to Ultrafast-Charging Batteries

摘要

The coalescence of metal nanoparticles in colloidal solutions is a universaland ubiquitous phenomenon. Using this behavior, a simple yet effective routeis developed that enables the spontaneous transformation of microsizedmetals into nanoporous structures in specific electrolyte solvents. The criteriafor selecting solvents and counterpart metals suitable for generatingnanoporous structures are derived based on the classical theory of acid–basereactions and quantum chemistry based on density functional theory. Whenemploying the developed method for anodes for Na-ion batteries, the anodesprepared using microsized Sn, Pb, Bi, and CuS particles store 592, 423, 383,and 546 mAh g~(?1), respectively, at 10 C with cycling lifetimes of 3000?6000cycles. This study provides fundamental framework for selecting solvents torealize low-cost anodes with large capacities, long cycling lifetimes, andexcellent rate performances. Moreover, the findings can be extended to otherfunctional materials that can exploit their large specific surface areas.