Lithium-ion insertion properties of one-dimensional layered rhenium phosphide

Metal phosphides have aroused great interest among the electrochemical community due to their stunning performance, including good electrical conductivity, high theoretical capacity, and considerable cycling stability. In this work, we synthesized and utilized Re6P13 for the first time as a promising anode material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). High-purity Re6P13 needle-like crystals were successfully grown by a chemical vapor transport method. Surface modification of Re6P13 by conductive carbon results in Re6P13 @C com-posite electrode, exhibiting a high specific capacity of 1265 mAh g-1 at 0.1 A g-1. The calculated band structure of Re6P13 reveals a highly symmetric point path that is beneficial for achieving high electrical conductivity and good structural flexibility. These features further empower the Re6P13 @C composite an-odes with good cycling life (775 mAh g-1 at 1 A g-1 after 100 cycles) and rate performance (558 mAh g-1 at 20 A g-1). This work suggests that Re6P13 compounds with needle-like structures are promising anode materials for LIBs.(c) 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

In this work, the metal phosphide Re6P13 was synthesized and used as an anode material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) for the first time. The Re6P13 @C composite electrode showed excellent electrical conductivity, high specific capacity (1265 mAh/g at 0.1 A g-1), good cycling life (775 mAh/g at 1 A g-1 after 100 cycles), and rate performance (558 mAh/g at 20 A g-1), making it a promising anode material for LIBs.