High-Performance and Low-Cost Sodium-Ion Anode Based on a Facile Black Phosphorus-Carbon Nanocomposite

Black phosphorus (BP) has received increasing research attention as an anode material in sodium-ion batteries (SIBs), owing to its high capacity, electronic conductivity, and chemical stability. However, it is still challenging for BP-based SIB anodes to achieve a high electrochemical performance utilizing cost-effective materials and synthetic methods. This work presents a sodium-ion anode based on a BP-carbon nanocomposite synthesized from commercial red phosphorus and low-cost super P carbon black. Intimate interactions between BP and carbon are present, which helps to maintain the electrical conduction during cycling and, therefore, a high cycling stability is achieved. It exhibits a high capacity retention of 1381 mAhg(-1) for sodium-ion storage after 100 cycles, maintaining 90.5% of the initial reversible capacity. Such high performance/materials cost ratio may provide direction for future phosphorus-based anodes in high energy density SIBs.