The preparation of Ni5P4/Ni composite via a chemical corrosion method and its application in lithium ion batteries

Abstract

The chemical corrosion of red phosphorus on Ni foam is studied, which leads to the growth of Ni5P4 on the surface of Ni foam. The morphology and size of the as-prepared Ni5P4 are studied by field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), which indicate that the Ni5P4 is composed of particles with a mean size of about 500nm and microflowers with a mean size of about 10μm. The electrochemical property of Ni5P4/Ni as anode for lithium ion batteries is studied by conventional charge/discharge test, which shows obvious voltage plateaus in charge/discharge curves, endowing it with potential application in lithium ion batteries.