Manipulating Molecular Structure and Morphology to Invoke High-Performance Sodium Storage of Copper Phosphide

Copper is used as current collector in rechargeable ion batteries due to its outstanding electronic conductivity and low cost. The intrinsic inactivity of copper, however, makes it a poor candidate for an electrode material without further structural modification. To fully utilize its high electronic conductivity, herein, the incorporation of heterogeneous phosphorus combined with building a unique 3D hollow structure is proposed. The as-prepared copper phosphide hollow nanocubes deliver a stable capacity of 325 mAh.g(-1) at 50 mA.g(-1) and fast charging and discharging via pseudocapacitance behavior. The outstanding electrochemical performance is attributed to the synergetic effects of high electronic conductivity of copper and the high sodium storage capability of phosphorus. In addition, this facile synthesis method is also easily scaled up for practical applications. Thus, copper phosphide is a promising anode material for sodium ion batteries.