Owing to lightweight, abundant reserves, low cost, and nontoxicity, B-based two-dimensional (2D) materials, e.g., borophene, exhibit great potential as new anode materials with higher energy density for Li-ion batteries (LIBs). However, exfoliation of borophene from the Ag substrate remains the most daunting challenge due to their strong interfacial interactions, significantly restricting its practical applications. In this study, through first-principles swarm-intelligence structure calculations, we have found several Boron-rich boron nitride BxN materials (x = 2, 3, 4, and 5) with increased stability and weakened interactions with the Ag(111) substrate compared with δ6-borophene. A high cohesive energy and superior dynamical, thermodynamic, and mechanical stability provide strong feasibility for their experimental synthesis. The obtained BxN materials exhibit a high mechanical strength (94-226 N/m) and low interfacial bonding with the Ag substrate, from -0.043 to -0.054 eV Å-2, significantly smaller than that of δ6-borophene. Among them, B3N and B5N exhibit not only a remarkably high storage capacity of 1805-3153 mAh/g but also a low barrier energy and open-circuit voltage. Moreover, B2N showed a cross-sheet motion with a low barrier of 0.24 eV, which is unique compared with the in-plane diffusion in most other 2D electrode materials restricted by their quasi-flat geometry. BxN also exhibits excellent cyclability with improved metallic conductivity upon Li-ion intercalation, showing great potential in LIB applications. This study opens up a new avenue to explore B-rich 2D electrode materials in energy applications and provide instructive insights into borophene functionalization and exfoliation.
Keywords: Electronic properties; anode materials; boron-rich nitrides; first-principles calculation; lithium-ion batteries.