Sn-Decorated red P entangled in CNTs as anodes for advanced lithium ion batteries

Phosphorus (P) is an appealing electrode material for lithium ion batteries owing to its high theoretical capacity. In particular, red P has attracted considerable research attention due to its commercial availability, low cost and easy handling. In this study, red P was combined with Sn particles and then interwoven into a carbon nanotube network (P@Sn@CNT). The electronic conductivity can be enhanced by the dual effect of the conductive CNT framework and decorated Sn particles. The Li storage capability of red P and Sn can be boosted with the synergistic effect, both contributing to the overall capacity of the composite. The P@Sn@CNT composite exhibits excellent lithium storage performance, delivering a capacity of 1197 mA h g-1 after 200 cycles at 0.2 A g-1. Outstanding cyclic stability and high rate capability are also exhibited, with a capacity retention of 79% in 200 cycles and a capacity of 911 mA h g-1 at 10 A g-1. The ex situ X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic study also reveals the reversible lithiation mechanism of the P@Sn@CNT composite, forming Li3P and Li22Sn5. The systematic investigation on the low-cost P@Sn@CNT sheds light on the development of high-performance red P-based lithium-ion batteries for real applications.