Electrodeposition of iron phosphide on copper substrate as conversion negative electrode for lithium-ion battery application

An attempt is made to synthesize high temperature iron phosphide phase over copper substrate at room temperature via simple and cost-effective electrodeposition technique using aqueous acidic electrolyte. The phosphorus content in alloys varied with its source's composition in the electrolyte. All as-obtained deposits are annealed at 400 °C for 3 h under constant inert gas flow rate in a tubular furnace. X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscope are used to characterize phase composition and morphology, respectively. All samples are electrochemically tested as anode material against lithium between 0.01 and 2.5 V at constant 10 μAcm−2, rendering it as possible negative electrode for high energy density lithium-ion battery applications.