Cage-like P4S3 molecule as promising anode with high capacity and cycling stability for Li+/Na+/K+ storage

Phosphorus sulfide cage molecule based on P4S3 was investigated for the first time as anode material for the storage of alkali metal ions (Li+, Na+, K+). Such P4S3 sample was obtained in a large scale by a simple heating reaction of low-cost rep P and S. X-ray diffraction refinement analysis indicates that P4S3 sample possesses a defect rich molecule crystal structure with S/P atom ratio of 0.74. The P4S3 anode delivered a high reversible capacity of 1266 mAh g(-1) for lithium-ion batteries at 0.1 A g(-1) and good cycling performance. Experimental results demonstrated that the P4S3 anode undergoes a reversible Li storage reaction of P4S3 + 11 Li + 11 e(-) <-> 0.5 Li4P2S6 + 3 Li3P during cycling. It also exhibited a high capacity of 1002 and 378 mAh g(-1) at 0.1 A g(-1) for Na+ and K+ storage, respectively. These properties suggest the promising application of P4S3 anode in high energy batteries. (C) 2020 Science Press and Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. and Science Press. All rights reserved.