Revealing bimetallic synergy in van der Waals AgInP2Se6 nanosheets for alkali metal ion battery electrodes

We report two-dimensional AgInP2Se6 (AIPSe) bimetallic phosphorus trichalcogenides nanosheets as anodes for advanced alkali metal ion batteries (AMIBs). The intrinsic layered architecture of this compound not only fa-cilitates rapid charge propagation but also accentuates ion storage due to its expansive surface area. The inte-gration of the bimetallic component results in a synergistic enhancement in electronic/ionic conductivity and optimizes the redox dynamics of multi-electronic materials, eventually attaining superior electrochemical characteristics. Moreover, the accompanying deposition of metallic silver during electrochemical processes re-duces battery polarization, while the presence of metallic indium acts as an efficacious structural stabilizer, effectively inhibit dendrite proliferation. As an anode electrode coupled with graphite (G) in lithium-ion (LIBs) and potassium-ion batteries (PIBs), AIPSe@G anodes for LIBs achieve 707.8 mA h g-1 at 0.1 A g-1, retain over 900 cycles at 2.0 A g-1, and demonstrate 318.5 mA h g-1 at 3.0 A g-1 rate capability. For PIBs, they reach 480.3 mA h g-1 at 25.0 mA g-1, sustains for 550 cycles at 250 mAg-1, and offers 214.2 mA h g-1 at 3.0 A g-1 rate performance. Comprehensive full cell tests further endure 100 cycles in both LIBs and PIBs under diverse current regimes. Our study pioneers a new direction for AMIB anode materials, emphasizing the advantages of integrating bimetallic features into two-dimensional frameworks to boost electrode dynamics and achieve consistent conversion reactions.

Automated summary

We present two-dimensional AgInP2Se6 (AIPSe) bimetallic phosphorus trichalcogenides nanosheets as anodes for advanced alkali metal ion batteries (AMIBs). The introduction of bimetallic components enhances the electronic/ionic conductivity and optimizes the redox dynamics, resulting in superior electrochemical performance. The AIPSe@G anodes achieve high specific capacity, excellent cycle stability, and rate capability in both lithium-ion (LIBs) and potassium-ion batteries (PIBs). The comprehensive full cell tests further demonstrate the stability of AIPSe@G anodes under diverse current regimes.