Phase Separation Induced Binary Core–Shell Alloy Nanoparticles Embedded in Carbon Sheets for Magnesium Storage

Abstract

Magnesium-ion batteries (MIBs) have aroused widespread interest in large-scale applications due to their low cost, high volumetric capacity, and safety. However, magnesium (Mg) metals are incompatible with conventional electrolytes, making it difficult to plate and strip reversibly. Therefore, developing novel Mg2+ host anodes remains a huge challenge. Herein, we present a rational design and fabrication of binary Bi@Sn alloy nanoparticles embedded in carbon sheets (Bi@Sn-C) as a superior anode for MIBs employing phase separation during the annealing of bimetallic MOFs. The Bi@Sn-C simultaneously integrates the nanostructure design and multi-element coordination strategies which is favorable to improve the overall structural stability and Mg2+ diffusion kinetics. Benefiting from the aforementioned features, the Bi@Sn-C electrodes deliver good cycling stability of 214 mA h g-1 at 100 mA g-1 after 100 cycles and rate capability with 200 mA h g-1 at 500 mA g-1. And when using all-phenyl complex with lithium chloride (LiCl-APC) dual-salt electrolyte, the electrochemical performance of Bi@Sn-C is further optimized and shows enhanced rate performance (238 mA h g-1 at 500 mA g-1) and reversible capacity (308 mA h g-1 at 100 mA g-1 after 100 cycles). This novel strategy holds great promise for designing efficient alloy electrode materials for MIBs.