Phosphorus‐Enhanced Anodes: A Scalable Solution to Transition‐Metal Ion Crosstalk in High‐Energy Lithium‐Ion Batteries

Z Zetai Xu (Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale School of Chemistry and Materials Science iChEM University of Science and Technology of China Hefei Anhui 230026 China) H Hao‐Tong Li (State Key Laboratory of Advanced Environmental Technology Department of Environmental Science and Engineering University of Science and Technology of China Hefei Anhui 230026 P.R. China) N Ning Cai (China Power Investment Ronghe New Energy Technology Co., Ltd Shanghai 200010 China) K Kun Zhao H Huanyu Xie Y Yuan Min J Jiaxuan She (Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale School of Chemistry and Materials Science iChEM University of Science and Technology of China Hefei Anhui 230026 China) C Chaonan Wang Q Qiang Xiao Z Zhiyu Lu (Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Department of Materials Science and Engineering) T Tianyuan Zhu T Tao Zhang S Si‐Dong Zhang (CAS Key Laboratory of Molecular Nanostructure and Nanotechnology and Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences Institute of Chemistry Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) Beijing 100190 China) A An‐Min Cao (CAS Key Laboratory of Molecular Nanostructure and Nanotechnology Beijing National Laboratory For Molecular Sciences Institute of Chemistry Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China) J Jie‐Jie Chen (State Key Laboratory of Advanced Environmental Technology Department of Environmental Science and Engineering University of Science and Technology of China Hefei Anhui 230026 P.R. China) H Hongchang Jin (Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, CAS Key Laboratory of Materials for Energy Conversion, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials) H Hengxing Ji (Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials (iChEM), Department of Applied Chemistry)

Abstract

Abstract Lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs) with high‐voltage transition‐metal (TM) oxide cathodes and graphite and/or silicon anodes are widely recognized for their high energy density. However, such high‐energy systems are often hindered by their poor cycling stability, especially due to anode failure caused by dissolved TM ions like Ni 2+ , Co 2+ , and Mn 2+ . Herein, we discovered phosphorus's unique phagotrophic effect, which absorbs TM ions into its bulk phase rather than allowing them to accumulate on the anode surface that typically happens for graphite and silicon. This effect allows a hybrid anode design by incorporating down to 2 wt.% phosphorus into graphite or silicon anodes, which is simple yet effectively prevents the TM‐ion‐induced decomposition of the electrolyte and solid‐electrolyte interphase (SEI), even at high TM‐ion concentrations (up to 100 mM). Consequently, full cells with phosphorus‐enhanced graphite or silicon anodes demonstrate remarkable extended cycling life. Importantly, this phosphorus‐based TM‐ion phagotrophic effect can be incorporated with standard electrode processing techniques for both graphite and silicon, ensuring seamless integration into existing LIB manufacturing. By improving the stability of graphite and silicon anodes across a variety of TM‐oxide cathodes, this approach provides a practical and scalable solution for advancing next‐generation high‐energy LIBs, offering both simplicity and transformative impact for battery technology.

Article Details

Volume / Issue Vol. 65, Issue 2
Published January 09, 2026
ISSN 1433-7851
Publisher Wiley

Journal Info

Angewandte Chemie International Edition

Wiley

ISSN: 1433-7851 Physical Sciences

Authors (17)

Z

Zetai Xu

Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale School of Chemistry and Materials Science iChEM University of Science and Technology of China Hefei Anhui 230026 China

H

Hao‐Tong Li

State Key Laboratory of Advanced Environmental Technology Department of Environmental Science and Engineering University of Science and Technology of China Hefei Anhui 230026 P.R. China

N

Ning Cai

China Power Investment Ronghe New Energy Technology Co., Ltd Shanghai 200010 China

K

Kun Zhao

H

Huanyu Xie

Y

Yuan Min

J

Jiaxuan She

Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale School of Chemistry and Materials Science iChEM University of Science and Technology of China Hefei Anhui 230026 China

C

Chaonan Wang

Q

Qiang Xiao

Z

Zhiyu Lu

Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Department of Materials Science and Engineering

T

Tianyuan Zhu

T

Tao Zhang

S

Si‐Dong Zhang

CAS Key Laboratory of Molecular Nanostructure and Nanotechnology and Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences Institute of Chemistry Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) Beijing 100190 China

A

An‐Min Cao

CAS Key Laboratory of Molecular Nanostructure and Nanotechnology Beijing National Laboratory For Molecular Sciences Institute of Chemistry Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China

J

Jie‐Jie Chen

State Key Laboratory of Advanced Environmental Technology Department of Environmental Science and Engineering University of Science and Technology of China Hefei Anhui 230026 P.R. China

H

Hongchang Jin

Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, CAS Key Laboratory of Materials for Energy Conversion, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials

H

Hengxing Ji

Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials (iChEM), Department of Applied Chemistry