Decoration of nickel hexacyanoferrate nanocubes onto reduced graphene oxide sheets as high-performance cathode material for rechargeable aqueous zinc-ion batteries

Yutao Xue; Yao Chen; Xiaoping Shen; Ai Zhong; Zhenyuan Ji; Jia Cheng; Lirong Kong; Aihua Yuan

doi:10.1016/j.jcis.2021.12.014

Decoration of nickel hexacyanoferrate nanocubes onto reduced graphene oxide sheets as high-performance cathode material for rechargeable aqueous zinc-ion batteries

J Colloid Interface Sci. 2022 Mar:609:297-306. doi: 10.1016/j.jcis.2021.12.014. Epub 2021 Dec 4.

Authors

Yutao Xue¹, Yao Chen¹, Xiaoping Shen², Ai Zhong¹, Zhenyuan Ji³, Jia Cheng¹, Lirong Kong¹, Aihua Yuan⁴

Affiliations

¹ School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, PR China.
² School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, PR China. Electronic address: shenxp@ujs.edu.cn.
³ School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, PR China. Electronic address: jizhenyuan@ujs.edu.cn.
⁴ School of Environmental & Chemical Engineering, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang 212100, PR China.

PMID: 34896830
DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2021.12.014

Abstract

Prussian blue analogues (PBA) have attracted much attention in energy research due to their unique three-dimensional open framework structure, adjustable metal ions, and facile synthesis. However, the application of PBA as a cathode material for aqueous zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) is restricted by its poor cycling performance and lower capacity. In this paper, we develop a new PBA-based hybrid cathode material for aqueous ZIBs by loading uniform nickel hexacyanoferrate (NiHCF) nanocubes onto reduced graphene oxide (RGO) sheets. In the NiHCF/RGO hybrid, NiHCF nanoparticles are well anchored on the RGO layers, forming a conductive network. The strong synergy between NiHCF and highly conductive RGO effectively increases the specific surface area, accelerates the electron and ion transport, and inhibits the structural collapse of the NiHCF/RGO electrode during the Zn²⁺ insertion/extraction process. Benefiting from the above advantages, the NiHCF/RGO hybrid exhibits a remarkable reversible capacity of 94.5 mAh g^-1 at a current density of 5 mA g^-1, excellent rate performance of 50.1 mAh g^-1 at 200 mA g^-1, and enhanced cycling stability with a capacity retention of 80.3% after 1000 cycles at 200 mA g^-1. This work provides a simple and effective way to improve the electrochemical performance of PBA-based cathodes for aqueous ZIBs application.

Keywords: Aqueous zinc ion batteries; Cathode materials; Nickel hexacyanoferrate; Reduced graphene oxide; Synergetic effect.