High-performance phosphorus/carbon anodes with P–O–C bonds enabled by oxygen-rich CO2-Derived carbon for sodium-ion batteries

Red phosphorus (RP) is a promising anode material for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) due to its high theoretical capacity and cost-effectiveness. However, its practical use is constrained by poor electronic conductivity and severe volume expansion during cycling. Herein, we introduce a new strategy to synthesize phosphorus/carbon (P/C) composites enriched with phosphorus-oxygen-carbon (P– O –C) bonds, achieved by high-energy ball milling of CO 2 -derived oxygen-rich electrolytic carbon (EC) with RP. This approach enhances the conductivity and structural stability of RP while effectively mitigating volume changes during charge-discharge cycles. Electrochemical evaluation reveals that the P/EC composite exhibits outstanding performance, maintaining a high capacity of 871.6 mAh g −1 after 200 cycles at 0.26 A g −1 with a retention rate of 88.6 %, and delivering 340.2 mAh g −1 after 2000 cycles at 2.6 A g −1 . This work demonstrates the potential of integrating CO 2 -derived EC with RP to create advanced anode materials with enhanced stability and high-rate capability, paving the way for next-generation SIBs.