Facile Solution Synthesis of Red Phosphorus Nanoparticles for Lithium Ion Battery Anodes

Red phosphorus (RP) has attracted extensive attention as an anodic material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) due to its high theoretical specific capacity of 2596 mA h g^- 1 and earth abundance. However, the facile and large-scale preparation of the red phosphorus nanomaterials via a solution synthesis remains a challenge. Herein, we develop a simple and facile solution method to prepare red phosphorus nanoparticles (RP NPs). PCl₃ readily reacts with HSiCl₃ in the presence of amines at room temperature to produce amorphous RP NPs with sizes about 100-200 nm in high yields. When used as an anode for rechargeable lithium ion battery, the RP NP electrode exhibits good electrochemical performance with a reversible capacity of 1380 mA h g^- 1 after 100 cycles at a current density of 100 mA g^- 1, and Coulombic efficiencies reaching almost 100% for each cycle. The study shows that this solution synthesis is a facile and convenient approach for large-scale production of RP NP materials for use in high-performance Li-ion batteries.