Methods for making anodes for lithium ion batteries

A method for preparing an anode, comprising:

• preparing a slurry comprising a copper substrate metal, an anode active material, a pore-forming agent, a binder, and a solvent, wherein the anode active material is selected from the group consisting of tin, a tin alloy, tin oxide, manganese oxide, chromium oxide, vanadium oxide, silicon, silicon oxide, titanium oxide, aluminum, or any combination thereof;
• forming a tape from the slurry;
• sintering the tape in an oxygen-free atmosphere to produce a macroporous composite anode, wherein sintering the tape removes the pore-forming agent, the binder, and the solvent;
• and
• incorporating the anode into a lithium-ion battery.

A method comprising:

• making a macroporous composite anode by:
• preparing a slurry comprising a substrate precursor, an anode active material is selected from the group consisting of tin, a tin alloy, tin oxide, manganese oxide, chromium oxide, vanadium oxide, silicon, silicon oxide, titanium oxide, aluminum, or combinations thereof, a pore-forming agent that produces a macroporous structure having a porosity of at least 30% when the pore forming agent is removed, a binder, and a solvent, wherein the substrate precursor is a metal oxide, metal salt, organometallic oxide, metal nitride, or a combination thereof;
• forming a tape from the slurry;
• removing the pore-forming agent and binder to produce a macroporous structure;
• reducing the macroporous structure such that a significant portion of the substrate precursor is reduced, thereby producing a macroporous composite anode comprising the substrate and the anode active material wherein the anode active material is dispersed throughout the substrate;
• and
• including the anode in a lithium-ion battery.