Electroactive materials for secondary batteries

1. An anode active material comprising a [P x Sb y M z ] p /[carbon] q composite wherein:

x, y, and z represent atomic percentage values and are x>0; y>0; and z≥0;

M is an electrically conductive metal; and

p and q represent the weight percentage values of the composite wherein p and q are in the range of 0-100%.

2. The anode active material of claim 1 , wherein M comprises tin, germanium, lead, arsenic, selenium, bismuth, silicon, aluminum, nickel, manganese, molybdenum, niobium, tungsten, tantalum, iron, copper, titanium, vanadium, chromium, nickel, cobalt, zirconium, or yttrium.

3. The anode active material of claim 1 , wherein M is selected from the group consisting of tin, germanium, lead, arsenic, selenium, bismuth, and a combination of any two or more thereof.

4. The anode active material of claim 1 , wherein M is selected from the group consisting of tin, germanium, and a combination thereof.

5. The anode active material of claim 1 , wherein M is tin.

6. The anode active material of claim 1 , wherein z is 0.

7. The anode active material of claim 1 , where x:y and x:z are greater than 10:1.

8. The anode active material of claim 1 , wherein the [P x Sb y M z ] p comprises a multi-phase microstructure comprising an amorphous or crystalline phase of P, an amorphous or crystalline phase of metal phosphide, an amorphous or nanocrystalline phase of a metal phosphide, and/or an amorphous or nanocrystalline phase of Sb or M.

9. The anode active material of claim 8 , wherein the carbon comprises a first carbon phase comprising graphite, graphene, holey graphene, expanded graphite, reduced graphene oxide, acetylene black, Ketjenblack, carbon black, a metal-organic framework, porous carbon, carbon spheres, or carbon aerogel, carbon nanofiber; and a second carbon phase comprising single-walled carbon nanotubes, multi-walled carbon nanotubes, carbon nanofibers, carbon nanotube arrays, polypyrrole, or polyaniline, poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene), poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene), or polystyrene sulfonate.

10. The anode active material of claim 1 , wherein the [P x Sb y M z ] p /[carbon] q composite has an average particle size from about 0.1 nm to 100 nm.

11. An electrochemical device comprising a cathode comprising a cathode active material and an anode comprising the anode active material of claim 1 .

12. The electrochemical device of claim 11 , wherein the cathode and/or anode further comprise a binder comprising sodium carboxymethylcellulose, sodium alginate, poly(acrylic acid), lithiated poly(acrylic acid), sodiated poly(acrylic acid), poly (vinyl alcohol), polyvinyl acetate, poly (ethylene imine), carboxymethyl chitosan, glutaradehyde, B-cyclodextrin polymer, Gum Arabic, PEDOT-PSS, polyacrylic latex, gelatin, polyamido amine, polyvinylidene fluoride, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyethylene, polystyrene, polyethylene oxide, polyimide, styrene butadiene rubber (SBR), polythiophene, polyacetylene, poly(9,9-dioctylfluorene-co-fluorenone), poly(9,9-dioctylfluorene-co-fluorenone-co-methylbenzoic ester), or a blend of any two or more binders.

13. The electrochemical device of claim 11 further comprising a separator disposed between the cathode and the anode.

14. The electrochemical device of claim 11 further comprising an electrolyte comprising a sodium salt and an aprotic solvent.

15. The electrochemical device of claim 11 which is a lithium ion, sodium ion, potassium ion, magnesium, or aluminum ion battery, or a lithium ion, sodium ion, potassium ion, magnesium, or aluminum ion capacitor.

16. A method of preparing a [P x Sb y M z ] p /[carbon] q composite, the method comprising:

ball milling a mixture of P, Sb, M, and a conductive carbon a ratio to form the [P x Sb y M z ] p /[carbon] q composite; and

recovering the [P x Sb y M z ] p /[carbon] q composite;

wherein:

x, y, and z represent atomic percentage values and are x>0; y>0; and z≥0;

M is an electrically conductive metal; and

p and q represent the weight percentage values of the composite with p+q=100 wt % and wherein is p>0 and 0≤q<100.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein M is tin, germanium, lead, arsenic, selenium, bismuth, aluminum, nickel, manganese, molybdenum, niobium, tungsten, tantalum, iron, copper, titanium, vanadium, chromium, nickel, cobalt, Zirconium, yttrium, or a combination of any two or more thereof.

18. The electrochemical device of claim 11 which is a potassium ion battery.