The phosphides InP and GaP with a zinc blende structure are examined as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries. During discharge, X-ray diffraction phase analysis reveals the formation of Li–In/Li–Ga alloy and amorphous Li3P. On charge, lithium is extracted from both Li x M (M=In, Ga) alloy and Li3P. InP shows a reversible capacity of ∼475mAhg−1 in the voltage range between 0.2 and 1.5V, whereas GaP exhibits poor capacity retention compared with that of InP.