Magnetic Field Assisted Construction of Hollow Red P Nanospheres Confined in Hierarchical N-Doped Carbon Nanosheets/Nanotubes 3D Framework for Efficient Potassium Storage

Red P has drawn extensive attention as a promising low-cost anode for potassium-ion batteries (PIBs) thanks to its large theoretical capacity and natural abundance. However, serious pulverization/aggregation issues during consecutive cycles and sluggish kinetics limit its practical commercial applications. Herein, hollow red P nanospheres confined in hierarchical N-doped carbon nanosheets/nanotubes framework are designed and controllably fabricated via a simple yet efficient magnetic field assisted methodology. The involved magnetic field induced formation mechanism of the 3D hybrid architecture is tentatively put forward here. Comprehensive physicochemical/structural characteristics and theoretical simulation authenticate that the resultant hybrid anode is endowed with exceptional structural/compositional merits, which ameliorate volumetric expansion/compression over potassiation/depotassiation processes, and guarantee abundant active sites, rigid structure stability, and convenient electronic/ionic transport network for efficient potassium storage. As a result, the unique hollow red P based hybrid electrode delivers superb electrochemical performance in both half and full cells in terms of reversible capacities, rate properties, and long-duration cycling behaviors as a competitive anode toward advanced PIBs. More significantly, this work proposes an innovative strategy for efficient fabrication of hollow red P architectures for next-generation PIBs and beyond.

Automated summary

This study presents a hybrid architecture of hollow red P nanospheres confined in hierarchical N-doped carbon nanosheets/nanotubes framework, which is fabricated via a magnetic field assisted methodology. The resulting hybrid anode demonstrates exceptional structural/compositional merits and superb electrochemical performance in potassium storage.