Understanding High-Rate K+-Solvent Co-Intercalation in Natural Graphite for Potassium-Ion Batteries

Graphite shows great potential as an anode material for rechargeable metal-ion batteries because of its high abundance and low cost. However, the electrochemical performance of graphite anode materials for rechargeable potassium-ion batteries needs to be further improved. Reported herein is a natural graphite with superior rate performance and cycling stability obtained through a unique K⁺-solvent co-intercalation mechanism in a 1 m KCF₃SO₃ diethylene glycol dimethyl ether electrolyte. The co-intercalation mechanism was demonstrated by ex situ Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and in situ X-ray diffraction. Moreover, the structure of the [K-solvent]⁺ complexes intercalated with the graphite and the conditions for reversible K⁺-solvent co-intercalation into graphite are proposed based on the experimental results and first-principles calculations. This work provides important insights into the design of natural graphite for high-performance rechargeable potassium-ion batteries.     

Integration of Graphite and Silicon Anodes for the Commercialization of High‐Energy Lithium‐Ion Batteries

Silicon is considered a most promising anode material for overcoming the theoretical capacity limit of carbonaceous anodes. The use of nanomethods has led to significant progress being made with Si anodes to address the severe volume change during (de)lithiation. However, less progress has been made in the practical application of Si anodes in commercial lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs). The drastic increase in the energy demands of diverse industries has led to the co‐utilization of Si and graphite resurfacing as a commercially viable method for realizing high energy. Herein, we highlight the necessity for the co‐utilization of graphite and Si for commercialization and discuss the development of graphite/Si anodes. Representative Si anodes used in graphite‐blended electrodes are covered and a variety of strategies for building graphite/Si composites are organized according to their synthetic methods. The criteria for the co‐utilization of graphite and Si are systematically presented. Finally, we provide suggestions for the commercialization of graphite/Si combinations.     

Use of Graphite as a Highly Reversible Electrode with Superior Cycle Life for Sodium‐Ion Batteries by Making Use of Co‐Intercalation Phenomena

Although being the standard anode material in lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs), graphite so far is considered to fail application in sodium‐ion batteries (NIBs) because the Na‐C system lacks suitable binary intercalation compounds. Here we show that this limitation can be circumvented by using co‐intercalation phenomena in a diglyme‐based electrolyte. The resulting compound is a stage‐I ternary intercalation compound with an estimated stoichiometry of Na(diglyme)₂C₂₀. Highlights of the electrode reaction are its high energy efficiency, the small irreversible loss during the first cycle, and a superior cycle life with capacities close to 100 mAh g^?1 for 1000 cycles and coulomb efficiencies >99.87 %. A one‐to‐one comparison with the analogue lithium‐based cell shows that the sodium‐based system performs better and also withstands higher currents.     

Recent Developments in Alloying‐type Anode Materials for Potassium‐Ion Batteries

As an energy‐storage system, rechargeable potassium‐ion batteries (PIBs) have aroused widespread attention in recent years due to their earth abundance, low standard redox potential, and high ionic conductivity. The development of high‐performance electrode materials is key to optimize the battery performance and useful to improve the feasibility of PIB technology. In this sense, a minireview on alloying‐type anode materials for advanced PIBs is provided, covering the potassium storage properties, reaction mechanisms, theoretical analysis, electrochemical performance, and suitable binders and electrolytes.     

High‐Capacity Anode Materials for Sodium‐Ion Batteries

Na‐ion batteries are an attractive alternative to Li‐ion batteries for large‐scale energy storage systems because of their low cost and the abundant Na resources. This Review provides a comprehensive overview of selected anode materials with high reversible capacities that can increase the energy density of Na‐ion batteries. Moreover, we discuss the reaction and failure mechanisms of those anode materials with a view to suggesting promising strategies for improving their electrochemical performance.     

A Porous Network of Bismuth Used as the Anode Material for High‐Energy‐Density Potassium‐Ion Batteries

Potassium‐ion batteries (KIBs) are plagued by a lack of materials for reversible accommodation of the large‐sized K⁺ ion. Herein we present, the Bi anode in combination with the dimethoxyethane‐(DME) based electrolyte to deliver a remarkable capacity of ca. 400 mAh g^?1 and long cycle stability with three distinct two‐phase reactions of Bi? KBi₂?K₃Bi₂?K₃Bi. These are ascribed to the gradually developed three‐dimensional (3D) porous networks of Bi, which realizes fast kinetics and tolerance of its volume change during potassiation and depotassiation. The porosity is linked to the unprecedented movement of the surface Bi atoms interacting with DME molecules, as suggested by DFT calculations. A full KIB of Bi//DME‐based electrolyte//Prussian blue of K_0.72Fe[Fe(CN)₆] is demonstrated to present large energy density of 108.1 Wh kg^?1 with average discharge voltage of 2.8 V and capacity retention of 86.5 % after 350 cycles.     

Natural Soft/Rigid Superlattices as Anodes for High‐Performance Lithium‐Ion Batteries

Volume expansion and poor conductivity are two major obstacles that hinder the pursuit of the lithium‐ion batteries with long cycling life and high power density. Herein, we highlight a misfit compound PbNbS₃ with a soft/rigid superlattice structure, confirmed by scanning tunneling microscopy and electrochemical characterization, as a promising anode material for high performance lithium‐ion batteries with optimized capacity, stability, and conductivity. The soft PbS sublayers primarily react with lithium, endowing capacity and preventing decomposition of the superlattice structure, while the rigid NbS₂ sublayers support the skeleton and enhance the migration of electrons and lithium ions, as a result leading to a specific capacity of 710 mAh g^?1 at 100 mA g^?1, which is 1.6 times of NbS₂ and 3.9 times of PbS. Our finding reveals the competitive strategy of soft/rigid structure in lithium‐ion batteries and broadens the horizons of single‐phase anode material design.     

An Intrinsically Non‐flammable Electrolyte for High‐Performance Potassium Batteries

Potassium‐ion batteries are promising for low‐cost and large‐scale energy storage applications, but the major obstacle to their application is the lack of safe and effective electrolytes. A phosphate‐based fire retardant such as triethyl phosphate is now shown to work as a single solvent with potassium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide at 0.9 m , in contrast to previous Li and Na systems where phosphates cannot work at low concentrations. This electrolyte is optimized at 2 m , where it exhibits the advantages of low cost, low viscosity, and high conductivity, as well as the formation of a uniform and robust salt‐derived solid‐electrolyte interphase layer, leading to non‐dendritic K‐metal plating/stripping with Coulombic efficiency of 99.6 % and a highly reversible graphite anode.     

Polyanionic Compounds for Potassium‐Ion Batteries

Lithium‐ion batteries have the highest energy density among practical secondary batteries and are widely used for electronic devices, electric vehicles, and even stationary energy‐storage systems. Along with the expansion of demand and applications, the concern about resources of lithium and cobalt is growing. Therefore, secondary batteries composed of abundant elements are required to complement lithium‐ion batteries. In recent years, the development of potassium‐ion batteries has attracted much attention, especially for large‐scale energy storage. In order to realize potassium‐ion batteries, various compounds are proposed and investigated as positive electrode materials, including layered transition‐metal oxides, Prussian blue analogues, and polyanionic compounds. This article offers a review of polyanionic compounds which are typically composed of abundant elements and expected high operating potential. Furthermore, we deliver our new results to partially compensate for lack of studies and provide a future perspective.     

Rapid Room‐Temperature,Chemoselective C −C Coupling of Poly(pseudo)halogenated Arenes Enabled by Palladium(I) Catalysis in Air

While chemoselectivities in Pd⁰‐catalyzed coupling reactions are frequently non‐intuitive and a result of a complex interplay of ligand/catalyst, substrate, and reaction conditions, we herein report a general method based on Pd^I that allows for an a priori predictable chemoselective C −C coupling at C−Br in preference to C−OTf and C−Cl bonds, regardless of the electronic or steric bias of the substrate. The C−C bond formations are extremely rapid (<5 min at RT) and are catalyzed by an air‐ and moisture‐stable Pd^I dimer under open‐flask conditions.     

Three‐Dimensional Fe2N@C Microspheres Grown on Reduced Graphite Oxide for Lithium‐Ion Batteries and the Li Storage Mechanism

Nanostructured iron compounds as lithium‐ion‐battery anode material have attracted considerable attention with respect to improved electrochemical energy storage and excellent specific capacity, so lots of iron‐based composites have been developed. Herein, a novel composite composed of three‐dimensional Fe₂N@C microspheres grown on reduced graphite oxide (denoted as Fe₂N@C‐RGO) has been synthesized through a simple and effective technique assisted by a hydrothermal and subsequent heating treatment process. As the anode material for lithium‐ion batteries, the synthetic Fe₂N@C‐RGO displayed excellent Li⁺‐ion storage performance with a considerable initial capacity of 847 mAh g^?1, a superior cycle stability (a specific discharge capacity of 760 mAh g^?1 remained after the 100th cycle), and an improved rate‐capability performance compared with those of the pure Fe₂N and Fe₂N‐RGO nanostructures. The good performance should be attributed to the existence of RGO layers that can facilitate to enhance the conductivity and shorten the lithium‐ion diffusion path; in addition, the carbon layer on the surface of Fe₂N can avert the structure decay caused by the volume change during the lithiation/delithiation process. Moreover, in situ X‐ray absorption fine‐structure analysis demonstrated that the excellent performance can be attributed to the lack of any obvious change in the coordination geometry of Fe₂N@C‐RGO during the charge/discharge processes.     

High‐Entropy Layered Oxide Cathodes for Sodium‐Ion Batteries

Material innovation on high‐performance Na‐ion cathodes and the corresponding understanding of structural chemistry still remain a challenge. Herein, we report a new concept of high‐entropy strategy to design layered oxide cathodes for Na‐ion batteries. An example of layered O3‐type NaNi_0.12Cu_0.12Mg_0.12Fe_0.15Co_0.15Mn_0.1Ti_0.1Sn_0.1Sb_0.04O₂ has been demonstrated, which exhibits the longer cycling stability (ca. 83 % of capacity retention after 500 cycles) and the outstanding rate capability (ca. 80 % of capacity retention at the rate of 5.0 C). A highly reversible phase‐transition behavior between O3 and P3 structures occurs during the charge‐discharge process, and importantly, this behavior is delayed with more than 60 % of the total capacity being stored in O3‐type region. Possible mechanism can be attributed to the multiple transition‐metal components in this high‐entropy material which can accommodate the changes of local interactions during Na⁺ (de)intercalation. This strategy opens new insights into the development of advanced cathode materials.     

Potassium‐Zincate‐Catalyzed Benzylic C−H Bond Addition of Diarylmethanes to Styrenes

Direct functionalization of the benzylic C?H bond of diarylmethanes is an important strategy for the synthesis of diarylmethine‐containing compounds. However, the methods developed to date for this purpose require a stoichiometric amount (usually more) of either a strong base or an oxidant. Reported here is the first catalytic benzylic C?H bond addition of diarylmethanes to styrenes and conjugated dienes. A potassium zincate complex, generated from potassium benzyl and zinc amide, acts as a catalyst and displays good activity and chemoselectivity. Considering the atom economy of the reaction and the ready availability of the catalyst, this reaction constitutes a practical, efficient method for diarylalkane synthesis.     

A Biodegradable Polydopamine‐Derived Electrode Material for High‐Capacity and Long‐Life Lithium‐Ion and Sodium‐Ion Batteries

Polydopamine (PDA), which is biodegradable and is derived from naturally occurring products, can be employed as an electrode material, wherein controllable partial oxidization plays a key role in balancing the proportion of redox‐active carbonyl groups and the structural stability and conductivity. Unexpectedly, the optimized PDA derivative endows lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs) or sodium‐ion batteries (SIBs) with superior electrochemical performances, including high capacities (1818 mAh g^?1 for LIBs and 500 mAh g^?1 for SIBs) and good stable cyclabilities (93 % capacity retention after 580 cycles for LIBs; 100 % capacity retention after 1024 cycles for SIBs), which are much better than those of their counterparts with conventional binders.     

2 D Manganese Vanadate Nanoflakes as High‐Performance Anode for Lithium‐Ion Batteries

Nanometer‐sized flakes of MnV₂O₆ were synthesized by a hydrothermal method. No surfactant, expensive metal salt, or alkali reagent was used. These MnV₂O₆ nanoflakes present a high discharge capacity of 768 mA h g^?1 at 200 mA g^?1, good rate capacity, and excellent cycling stability. Further investigation demonstrates that the nanoflake structure and the specific crystal structure make the prepared MnV₂O₆ a suitable material for lithium‐ion batteries.     

Solvated Graphene Frameworks as High‐Performance Anodes for Lithium‐Ion Batteries

A solvent‐exchange approach for the preparation of solvated graphene frameworks as high‐performance anode materials for lithium‐ion batteries is reported. The mechanically strong graphene frameworks exhibit unique hierarchical solvated porous networks and can be directly used as electrodes with a significantly improved electrochemical performance compared to unsolvated graphene frameworks, including very high reversible capacities, excellent rate capabilities, and superior cycling stabilities.     

Development and Investigation of a NASICON‐Type High‐Voltage Cathode Material for High‐Power Sodium‐Ion Batteries

Herein, we introduce a 4.0 V class high‐voltage cathode material with a newly recognized sodium superionic conductor (NASICON)‐type structure with cubic symmetry (space group P2₁3), Na₃V(PO₃)₃N. We synthesize an N‐doped graphene oxide‐wrapped Na₃V(PO₃)₃N composite with a uniform carbon coating layer, which shows excellent rate performance and outstanding cycling stability. Its air/water stability and all‐climate performance were carefully investigated. A near‐zero volume change (ca. 0.40 %) was observed for the first time based on in situ synchrotron X‐ray diffraction, and the in situ X‐ray absorption spectra revealed the V^3.2+/V^4.2+ redox reaction with high reversibility. Its 3D sodium diffusion pathways were demonstrated with distinctive low energy barriers. Our results indicate that this high‐voltage NASICON‐type Na₃V(PO₃)₃N composite is a competitive cathode material for sodium‐ion batteries and will receive more attention and studies in the future.     

A Yolk–Shell‐Structured FePO4 Cathode for High‐Rate and Long‐Cycling Sodium‐Ion Batteries

Amorphous iron phosphate (FePO₄) has attracted enormous attention as a promising cathode material for sodium‐ion batteries (SIBs) because of its high theoretical specific capacity and superior electrochemical reversibility. Nevertheless, the low rate performance and rapid capacity decline seriously hamper its implementation in SIBs. Herein, we demonstrate a sagacious multi‐step templating approach to skillfully craft amorphous FePO₄ yolk–shell nanospheres with mesoporous nanoyolks supported inside the robust porous outer nanoshells. Their unique architecture and large surface area enable these amorphous FePO₄ yolk–shell nanospheres to manifest remarkable sodium storage properties with high reversible capacity, outstanding rate performance, and ultralong cycle life.