Revealing the Various Electrochemical Behaviors of Sn4P3 Binary Alloy Anodes in Alkali Metal Ion Batteries. (28th May 2021) - Zhou, Junhua
Abstract: Sn4 P3 binary alloy anode has attracted much attention, not only because of the synergistic effect of P and Sn, but also its universal popularity in alkali metal ion batteries (AIBs), including lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs), sodium‐ion batteries (SIBs), and potassium‐ion batteries (PIBs). However, the alkali metal ion (A + ) storage and capacity attenuation mechanism of Sn4 P3 anodes in AIBs are not well understood. Herein, a combination of ex situ X‐ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and density functional theory calculations reveals that the Sn4 P3 anode undergoes segregation of Sn and P, followed by the intercalation of A + in P and then in Sn. In addition, differential electrochemical curves and ex situ XPS results demonstrate that the deep insertion of A + in P and Sn, especially in P, contributes to the reduction in capacity of AIBs. Serious sodium metal dendrite growth causes further reduction in the capacity of SIBs, while in PIBs it is the unstable solid electrolyte interphase and sluggish dynamics that lead to capacity decay. Not only the failure mechanism, including structural deterioration, unstable SEI, dendrite growth, and sluggish kinetics, but also the modification strategy and systematic analysis method provide theoretical guidance for the development of other alloy‐based anode materials. Abstract : The storage mechanism of Sn4 P3 binary alloy for alkali metal ions and capacity decay theory, including structural degradation, unstable solid electrolyte interphase, dendrite growth, and sluggish dynamics, have been demonstrated through various characterization techniques and density functional theory calculations, which provide theoretical guidance for the development of other alloy‐based anode materials with high energy densities.