Tunable Hollow Nanoreactors for In Situ Synthesis of GeP Electrodes towards High-Performance Sodium Ion Batteries

The practical application of germanium phosphide (GeP) in battery systems is seriously impeded referring to the sluggish reaction kinetics and severe volume change. Nanostructure design that elaborately resolves the above issues is highly desired but still remains a big challenge. Herein, unique hollow nanoreactors assembled with nitrogen-doped carbon networks for in situ synthesis of the GeP electrodes are proposed for the first time. Such nanoreactors form a self-supported conductive network, ensuring sufficient electrolyte infiltration and fast electron transport. They restrain crystal growth and accommodate the volume expansion of GeP simultaneously. Reaction kinetics and confinement effect are optimized through nanoreactor size regulation. The optimized GeP electrode has high reversible capacities and outstanding cyclability and rate performance for sodium storage, outperforming most previously reported phosphides.

Automated summary

The practical application of germanium phosphide (GeP) in battery systems is hindered by sluggish reaction kinetics and severe volume change. A novel hollow nanoreactor assembled with nitrogen-doped carbon networks is proposed for in situ synthesis of GeP electrodes, solving the above issues. The optimized GeP electrode shows high reversible capacities and outstanding performance for sodium storage, surpassing most previously reported phosphides.