Dual-phase nanostructuring of layered metal oxides for high-performance aqueous rechargeable potassium ion microbatteries.

Li, Ying-Qi; Shi, Hang; Wang, Sheng-Bo; Zhou, Yi-Tong; Wen, Zi; Lang, Xing-You; Jiang, Qing · Nat Commun · 2019

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

Aqueous rechargeable microbatteries are promising on-chip micropower sources for a wide variety of miniaturized electronics. However, their development is plagued by state-of-the-art electrode materials due to low capacity and poor rate capability. Here we show that layered potassium vanadium oxides, K<sub>x</sub>V<sub>2</sub>O<sub>5</sub>·nH<sub>2</sub>O, have an amorphous/crystalline dual-phase nanostructure to show genuine potential as high-performance anode materials of aqueous rechargeable potassium-ion microbatteries. The dual-phase nanostructured K<sub>x</sub>V<sub>2</sub>O<sub>5</sub>·nH<sub>2</sub>O keeps large interlayer spacing while removing secondary-bound interlayer water to create sufficient channels and accommodation sites for hydrated potassium cations. This unique nanostructure facilitates accessibility/transport of guest hydrated potassium cations to significantly improve practical capacity and rate performance of the constituent K<sub>x</sub>V<sub>2</sub>O<sub>5</sub>·nH<sub>2</sub>O. The potassium-ion microbatteries with K<sub>x</sub>V<sub>2</sub>O<sub>5</sub>·nH<sub>2</sub>O anode and K<sub>x</sub>MnO<sub>2</sub>·nH<sub>2</sub>O cathode constructed on interdigital-patterned nanoporous metal current microcollectors exhibit ultrahigh energy density of 103 mWh cm<sup>-3</sup> at electrical power comparable to carbon-based microsupercapacitors.