Layer-Tunable Phosphorene Modulated by the Cation Insertion Rate as a Sodium-Storage Anode

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Liquid phase exfoliation of few-layer phosphorene (FL-P) faces challenges like long processing times, limited flake size, and uncontrolled thickness.
• These limitations hinder the development and application of phosphorene-based materials.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce an efficient electrochemical cationic intercalation method for preparing large-area FL-P.
• To demonstrate control over phosphorene layer thickness via applied potential.
• To evaluate the performance of the synthesized FL-P as an anode material in sodium-ion batteries.

Main Methods:

• Electrochemical cationic intercalation was employed for phosphorene exfoliation.
• Applied potential was varied to control the layer number of the resulting phosphorene.
• The synthesized FL-P was directly used as an anode material in sodium-ion batteries for performance testing.

Main Results:

• Large-area few-layer phosphorene (FL-P) was efficiently produced in under 1 hour, free from surface functional groups.
• The layer number of phosphorene could be precisely controlled, ranging from 2 to 11 layers, by adjusting the applied potential.
• The synthesized phosphorene exhibited superior sodium-storage performance when used as an anode material in sodium-ion batteries.

Conclusions:

• The electrochemical cation insertion method provides an efficient and scalable route for producing high-quality few-layer phosphorene.
• This approach facilitates the development of phosphorene-based technologies and offers a pathway for scalable monolayer 2D material production.
• The success with phosphorene suggests broader applicability of electrochemical exfoliation for other 2D materials.