title: Tin-coated viral nanoforests as sodium-ion battery anodes.
abstract: Designed as a high-capacity alloy host for Na-ion chemistry, a forest of Sn nanorods with a unique core-shell structure was synthesized on viral scaffolds, which were genetically engineered to ensure a nearly vertical alignment upon self-assembly onto a metal substrate. The interdigital spaces thus formed between individual rods effectively accommodated the volume expansion and contraction of the alloy upon sodiation/desodiation, while additional carbon-coating engineered over these nanorods further suppressed Sn aggregation during extended electrochemical cycling. Due to the unique nanohierarchy of multiple functional layers, the resultant 3D nanoforest of C/Sn/Ni/TMV1cys, binder-free composite electrode already and evenly assembled on a stainless steel current collector, exhibited supreme capacity utilization and cycling stability toward Na-ion storage and release. An initial capacity of 722 mA·h (g Sn)(-1) along with 405 mA·h (g Sn)(-1) retained after 150 deep cycles demonstrates the longest-cycling nano-Sn anode material for Na-ion batteries reported in the literature to date and marks a significant performance improvement for neat Sn material as alloy host for Na-ion chemistry.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, United States.
authors.forename: Yihang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Yunhua
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Yujie
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: James N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Culver
authors.forename: Cynthia A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Lundgren
authors.forename: Kang
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Chunsheng
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000327:Adsorption; D036022:Capsid Proteins / Q000737:chemistry*; D011211:Electric Power Supplies; D004566:Electrodes; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D005818:Genetic Engineering / Q000379:methods; D007477:Ions; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D010316:Particle Size; D011485:Protein Binding; D012964:Sodium / Q000737:chemistry*; D013499:Surface Properties; D014001:Tin / Q000737:chemistry*; D014027:Tobacco Mosaic Virus / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D036022:Capsid Proteins; D007477:Ions; D014001:Tin; D012964:Sodium