Electrochemical performances of nanostructured Ni₃P–Ni films electrodeposited on nickel foam substrate

Ni₃P-Ni films were deposited on nickel foam substrates by electrodeposition in an aqueous solution. The structure and morphology of the electrodeposited films were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The annealed electrodeposited films consisted of tetragonal structured Ni 3 P and cubic metal Ni. As anode for lithium ion batteries, the electrochemical properties of the Ni₃P-Ni films were investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectrum (EIS) and galvanostatic charge-discharge tests. The electrodeposition time had a significant effect on the electrochemical performances of the films. The Ni₃P-Ni film electrodeposited for 20 min delivered the initial discharge capacity of 890 mAh g^-1 . Although the irreversible capacity at the first cycle was relative large, the Ni 3 P-Ni film exhibited good cycling stability and its discharging capacity still maintained 340 mAh g^-1 after 40 cycles.