Nanostructured transition metal phosphide as negative electrode for lithium-ion batteries

In the Li-ion technology, the diffusion of Li in the electrode is often limited by the quality of interfaces. Two synthetic approaches are proposed to develop the transition metal phosphides (TMP)/electrolyte interface. The first route consists in the preparation of nickel nanopowder by solution phase synthesis, and the second is based on the electrochemical synthesis of nickel nanorods in a template followed by vaporization of phosphorous. In the former, the nanosized metallic particles are foreseen to be used as starting nanomaterial to directly react with phosphorous agents (P or Li3P) during the cycling of the lithium battery. A preliminary electrochemical test of the NiP (x) nanorods/Li half-cell shows the feasibility of the use of such nanostructured TMP electrode in a Li battery.