The tailored crystalline configuration coupled with submicron particles would be conducive to superior ionic conductivity, which could further improve the cycle life of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Here, manganese phosphide (Mn
5.64P
3) particles with hexagonal crystal structure embedded into nitrogen/phosphorus (N/P)
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The tailored crystalline configuration coupled with submicron particles would be conducive to superior ionic conductivity, which could further improve the cycle life of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Here, manganese phosphide (Mn
5.64P
3) particles with hexagonal crystal structure embedded into nitrogen/phosphorus (N/P) co-doped carbon shells (Mn
5.64P
3-C) are successfully prepared by the self-template and recrystallization–self-assembly method. The electrochemical properties of as-synthesized Mn
5.64P
3-C as anode materials for LIBs are systematically investigated. The XRD and HRTEM combined with SAED indicate that the prepared Mn
5.64P
3-C hybrid with the ratio of 1:10 of Mn:C present a hexagonal crystal structure covered with a carbon layer. During charging/discharging at the current density of 0.5 A g
−1, the Mn
5.64P
3-C electrode exhibits the reversible capacity of 160 mAh g
−1 after 3000 cycles with high-capacity retention. The ex-situ XRD of initial discharge/charge process at different voltages implies that the Mn
5.64P
3 could be transformed to the amorphous Li
xMn
yP
z. The N/P co-doped carbon shells can provide high specific area for electrolyte infiltration, and act as the buffer matrix to suppress the loss of the Mn
5.64P
3 active material during cycling. The Mn
5.64P
3 with the hexagonal crystal structure and N/P co-doped carbon shells could promote the further optimization and development of manganese phosphide for high-performance LIBs.
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