Multicomponent Anodes Based on Amorphous ZnP₂ for Fast‐Charging/Discharging Lithium‐Ion Batteries

Abstract High‐capacity phosphorus‐based anodes have shown promise for fast‐charging/discharging lithium‐ion batteries, but have a low conductivity, and undergo significant volume changes during use, resulting in a poor rate performance and short cycle life. To overcome these limitations, the study has synthesized a hybrid material comprising amorphous ZnP 2 incorporated with in situ formed amorphous zinc phosphate along with phosphorus and carbon (a‐ZnP 2 /Zn 3 (PO 4 ) 2 /P/C) by a one‐step high‐energy ball milling process. The porous structure and isotropic nature of the hybrid amorphous material improve Li + accessibility, reaction kinetics, and structural stability during fast lithiation/delithiation. Particularly, the hybrid amorphous ZnP 2 electrode shows stable cycling performance over 2200 cycles at 5 A g −1 (3 C), retaining 92.3% of its maximum capacity to 985 mAh g⁻¹, and demonstrating high‐rate charging/discharging capability at 10/20 A g −1 (6 C/12 C) over 2000/2700 cycles to 734/592 mAh g −1 . It is found that a reduced electrochemical polarization, large pseudocapacitive contribution, improved Li + diffusion kinetics and more stable electrode‐electrolyte interface of the hybrid electrode contribute to its outstanding performance. This groundbreaking work paves a way for high‐performance multicomponent phosphorus‐based anodes for fast‐charging/discharging LIBs.