3D red phosphorus/sheared CNT sponge for high performance lithium-ion battery anodes

Phosphorus (P) is considered one of the most attractive anodic materials for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) owing to its high theoretical specific capacity (2596 mAh g −1 ). Nevertheless, it suffers from intrinsic poor conductivity (10 −12 S m −1 ) and large volume expansion (~440%) during the lithiation process, leading to low reaction dynamics and serious capacity decay upon cycling. In this work, red P confined in a three-dimensional (3D) sheared carbon nanotube (SCNT) conductive sponge is prepared, showing high capacity and long cyclability as anodes for LIBs. The resultant 3D P-SCNT composite delivers a stable capacity of 1600 mAh g −1 at a current density of 0.1 A g −1 and a reversible high-rate capacity as high as 782 mAh g −1 at 2 A g −1 even after 3000 cycles, owing to the robust support of the SCNT framework and stable chemical bonds between the evenly distributed red P and SCNT.