Volume 19, Issue 39 2302537
Research Article

Pseudocapacitive Potassium-Ion Intercalation Enabled by Topologically Defective Soft Carbon toward High-Rate, Large-Areal-Capacity, and Low-Temperature Potassium-Ion Batteries

Haozhen Yang

Haozhen Yang

PCFM Lab and GDHPRC Lab, School of Chemistry, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510006 P. R. China

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Junlong Huang

Junlong Huang

PCFM Lab and GDHPRC Lab, School of Chemistry, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510006 P. R. China

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Shaohong Liu

Shaohong Liu

PCFM Lab and GDHPRC Lab, School of Chemistry, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510006 P. R. China

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Yongqi Chen

Yongqi Chen

PCFM Lab and GDHPRC Lab, School of Chemistry, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510006 P. R. China

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Zongheng Cen

Zongheng Cen

PCFM Lab and GDHPRC Lab, School of Chemistry, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510006 P. R. China

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Chenguang Shi

Chenguang Shi

PCFM Lab and GDHPRC Lab, School of Chemistry, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510006 P. R. China

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Yuheng Lu

Yuheng Lu

PCFM Lab and GDHPRC Lab, School of Chemistry, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510006 P. R. China

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Ruowen Fu

Corresponding Author

Ruowen Fu

PCFM Lab and GDHPRC Lab, School of Chemistry, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510006 P. R. China

E-mail: [email protected]

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First published: 02 June 2023
Citations: 3

Abstract

Carbonaceous materials are widely investigated as anodes for potassium-ion batteries (PIBs). However, the inferior rate capability, low areal capacity, and limited working temperature caused by sluggish K-ions diffusion kinetics are still primary challenges for carbon-based anodes. Herein, a simple temperature-programmed co-pyrolysis strategy is proposed for the efficient synthesis of topologically defective soft carbon (TDSC) based on inexpensive pitch and melamine. The skeletons of TDSC are optimized with shortened graphite-like microcrystals, enlarged interlayer spacing, and abundant topological defects (e.g., pentagons, heptagons, and octagons), which endow TDSC with fast pseudocapacitive K-ion intercalation behavior. Meanwhile, micrometer-sized structure can reduce the electrolyte degradation over particle surface and avoid unnecessary voids, ensuring a high initial Coulombic efficiency as well as high energy density. These synergistic structural advantages contribute to excellent rate capability (116 mA h g−1 at 20 C), impressive areal capacity (1.83 mA h cm−2 with a mass loading of 8.32 mg cm−2), long-term cycling stability (capacity retention of 91.8% after 1200 h cycling), and low working temperature (−10 °C) of TDSC anodes, demonstrating great potential for the practical application of PIBs.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Data Availability Statement

Research data are not shared.

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