Bismuth nanoparticles embedded in a carbon skeleton as an anode for high power density potassium-ion batteries

Zhiqiang Hao; Xiaoyan Shi; Wenqing Zhu; Xiaoyue Zhang; Zhuo Yang; Lin Li; Zhe Hu; Qing Zhao; Shulei Chou

doi:10.1039/d2sc04217g

Bismuth nanoparticles embedded in a carbon skeleton as an anode for high power density potassium-ion batteries

Chem Sci. 2022 Aug 22;13(38):11376-11381. doi: 10.1039/d2sc04217g. eCollection 2022 Oct 5.

Authors

Zhiqiang Hao¹, Xiaoyan Shi¹, Wenqing Zhu¹, Xiaoyue Zhang¹, Zhuo Yang¹, Lin Li¹, Zhe Hu², Qing Zhao³, Shulei Chou¹

Affiliations

¹ Institute for Carbon Neutralization, College of Chemistry and Materials Engineering, Wenzhou University Wenzhou Zhejiang 325035 China linli@wzu.edu.cn chou@wzu.edu.cn.
² College of Materials Science and Engineering, Shenzhen University Shenzhen 518055 China huzhe@szu.edu.cn.
³ Key Laboratory of Advanced Energy Materials Chemistry (Ministry of Education), College of Chemistry, Nankai University Tianjin 300071 China zhaoq@nankai.edu.cn.

Abstract

Bismuth is a promising anode for potassium-ion batteries (PIBs) due to its suitable redox potential, large theoretical capacity, and superior electronic conductivity. Herein, we report a Bi@C (Bi nanoparticles uniformly embedded in a carbon skeleton) composite anode which delivers a superior rate performance of 244.3 mA h g^-1 at 10.0 A g^-1 and a reversible capacity of 255.6 mA h g^-1 after 200 cycles in an optimized ether-based electrolyte. The outstanding electrochemical performance results from its robust structural design with fast reaction kinetics, which are confirmed by both experimental characterization studies and first-principles calculations. The reversible potassium storage mechanism of the Bi@C composite was also investigated by in situ X-ray diffraction. In addition, the full PIB cell assembled with a Bi@C composite anode and nickel-based Prussian blue analogue cathode exhibits high discharge voltage (3.18 V), remarkable power density (>10 kW kg^-1), and an excellent capacity retention of 87.8% after 100 cycles. The results demonstrate that the PIBs with Bi anodes are promising candidates for power-type energy storage devices.