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Ultrafine Sn4P3 nanocrystals from chloride reduction on mechanically activated Na surface for sodium/lithium ion batteries

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Abstract

Nanostructured metal phosphides are very attractive materials in energy storage and conversion, but their applications are severely limited by complicated preparation steps, harsh conditions and large excess of highly toxic phosphorus source. Here we develop a highly efficient one-step method to synthesize Sn4P3 nanostructure based on simultaneous reduction of SnCl4 and PCl3 on mechanically activated Na surface and in situ phosphorization. The low-toxic PCl3 displays a very high phosphorizing efficiency (100%). Furthermore, this simple method is powerful to control phosphide size. Ultrafine Sn4P3 nanocrystals (< 5 nm) supported on carbon sheets (Sn4P3/C) are obtained, which is due to the unique bottom-up surface-limited reaction. As the anode material for sodium/lithium ion batteries (SIBs/LIBs), the Sn4P3/C shows profound sodiation/lithiation extents, good phase-conversion reversibility, excellent rate performance and long cycling stability, retaining high capacities of 420 mAh/g for SIBs and 760 mAh/g for LIBs even after 400 cycles at 1.0 A/g. Combining simple and efficient preparation, low-toxic and high-efficiency phosphorus source and good control of nanosize, this method is very promising for low-cost and scalable preparation of high-performance Sn4P3 anode.

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Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 51972075 and 51772059), the Natural Science Foundation of Heilongjiang Province (No. ZD2019E004) and the Fundamental Research funds for the Central Universities.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Superlight Materials and Surface Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Engineering University, Harbin, 150001, China

    Zhiliang Liu, Xiangxi Wang, Xinteng Wu & Piaoping Yang

  2. Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences (BNLMS), College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, 5 Yiheyuan Road, Beijing, 100871, China

    Zhiliang Liu, Sungjin Yang, Shaolei Yang, Shunpeng Chen, Jie Zheng & Xingguo Li

  3. Comprehensive Energy Research Center, Institute of Science and Technology, China Three Gorges Corporation, Beijing, 100038, China

    Zhuoyan Wu

  4. Key Laboratory for Mineral Materials and Application of Hunan Province, School of Minerals Processing and Bioengineering, Central South University, Changsha, 410083, China

    Xinghua Chang

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  1. Zhiliang Liu
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  3. Zhuoyan Wu
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  9. Piaoping Yang
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Correspondence to Piaoping Yang, Jie Zheng or Xingguo Li.

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Ultrafine Sn4P3 nanocrystals from chloride reduction on mechanically activated Na surface for sodium/lithium ion batteries

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Liu, Z., Wang, X., Wu, Z. et al. Ultrafine Sn4P3 nanocrystals from chloride reduction on mechanically activated Na surface for sodium/lithium ion batteries. Nano Res. 13, 3157–3164 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-020-2987-2

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