High-efficiency and low-consumption preparation of ultra-thin and high-performance nanotwinned copper foils by high-gravity intensified direct current electrodeposition

In study, a novel strategy was adopted by the integration of microstructure control and electrodeposition process intensification for high-efficiency, low-consumption and convenient electrodeposition of high performance and ≤4.5 μm ultra-thin copper foils for lithium-ion battery (LIB) collectors. The microstructure and the electrodeposition process of copper foils were effectively controlled and enhanced by the synergy of optimized electrolyte and Multi-Concentric Cylindrical Electrodes-Rotating Bed (MCCE-RB) which was used to generate high-gravity fields. Equiaxed nanotwinned copper (nt-Cu) foils possessed ultra-thin thicknesses ranging from 3.70 to 4.08 μm. They exhibited tensile strength and elongation of 787 MPa and 21.2 %, respectively. In contrast to the conventional direct current electrodeposition, electrodeposition and current efficiency were increased by 15.1 % and 27.2 %, respectively, while the energy consumption was decreased by 23.7 % in the high-gravity field. This is beneficial to improve the weight and energy density of LIBs by applying the strategy and technique of high-gravity intensifying.