@article {4390,
	title = {Microstructural intra-granular cracking in Cu2ZnSnS4@C thin-film anode enhanced the electrochemical performance in lithium-ion battery applications},
	journal = {Materials Advances},
	volume = {2},
	year = {2021},
	note = {n/a},
	month = {2021},
	pages = {5672 - 5685},
	publisher = {RSC},
	abstract = {<p>Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) has demonstrated excellent performance as an anode material for lithium-ion batteries. However, the repeated lithiation and delithiation create a cracking pattern and lead to island formation in the thin-film electrode, resulting in a capacity fading over cycling in lithium-ion batteries (LIB{\textquoteright}s). In order to control this crack behaviour, we introduce carbon into CZTS thin-films by a hydrothermal method to form CZTS@C composite. CZTS@C significantly reduced the crack pattern formation on the electrode surface as well as improved the conductivity of the CZTS@C electrode. At the early stages of lithiation and delithiation, the volume expansion and contraction of Li{\textendash}CZTS@C create intra-granular cracking only at the surface level, and it offers a high capacity of about 785 mA h g-1 after 150 cycles at 1000 mA g-1 charging rate, excellent rate capability (942 mA h g-1, 678 mA h g-1 and 435 mA h g-1 at 500 mA g-1, 2000 mA g-1 and 5000 mA g-1), and superior cyclability (925 mA h g-1 even after 200 cycles at 500 mA g-1). The excellent electrochemical performance at high-current rates can be attributed to intra-granular cracking together with carbon coating that provides a short transportation length for both lithium ions and electrons. Moreover, the controlled cracking pattern formation in CZTS@C facilitates faster reaction kinetics, which open up a new solution for the development of high-power thin-film anodes for next-generation LIBs applications.</p>
},
	url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/D1MA00471A},
	author = {Venugopal, Boya and Indrajit Shown and Satyanarayana Samireddi and Syum, Zeru and Krishnamoorthy, Vimal and Heng-Liang Wu and Chu, Chih-Wei and Chih-Hao Lee and Li-Chyong Chen and Kuei-Hsien Chen}
}
