Lithium-ion insertion properties of one-dimensional layered rhenium phosphide

Metal phosphides have aroused great interest among the electrochemical community due to their stunning performance, including good electrical conductivity, high theoretical capacity, and considerable cycling stability. In this work, we synthesized and utilized Re ₆P ₁₃ for the first time as a promising anode material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). High-purity Re ₆P ₁₃ needle-like crystals were successfully grown by a chemical vapor transport method. Surface modification of Re ₆P ₁₃ by conductive carbon results in Re ₆P ₁₃ @C composite electrode, exhibiting a high specific capacity of 1265 mAh g ⁻¹ at 0.1 A g ⁻¹. The calculated band structure of Re ₆P ₁₃ reveals a highly symmetric point path that is beneficial for achieving high electrical conductivity and good structural flexibility. These features further empower the Re ₆P ₁₃ @C composite anodes with good cycling life (775 mAh g ⁻¹ at 1 A g ⁻¹ after 100 cycles) and rate performance (558 mAh g ⁻¹ at 20 A g ⁻¹). This work suggests that Re ₆P ₁₃ compounds with needle-like structures are promising anode materials for LIBs.