Boosting K⁺ storage capacity in carbon nanofibers: A synergistic strategy involving amorphous SnO₂, ZnO integration, and graphene decoration

Abstract

Potassium-ion batteries (KIBs) are rising as a noteworthy contender to lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), particularly for large-scale applications, driven by the natural abundance and cost-effectiveness of potassium resource. Yet, lacking anodes which can reversibly accommodate the larger K⁺ currently poses a critical development hurdle, highlighting an urgent need for innovative solutions. Herein, porous ZnO-SnO₂-graphene-carbon (ZTO-G-C) nanofibers are presented, featuring amorphous SnO₂ and ZnO nanoparticles homogeneously dispersed within a carbon matrix, with the strategic graphene incorporation for enhanced performance. Employing an adjustable and straightforward electrospinning method, the nanofibers were crafted to achieve a stable fibrous architecture. When evaluated as KIB anodes, the ZTO-G-C nanofibers demonstrated remarkable cycling stability (retaining 230.82 mA·h/g over 100 cycles at 100 mA/g), and rate capability (184.78 mA·h/g at 1 A/g). This outstanding performance is due to the synergistic interaction among all active components, collectively enhancing the structural stability against volume expansion during K⁺ intercalation, facilitating efficient charge transport, and delivering exceptional cyclability, capacity, and rate performance. Moreover, the intrinsic pseudocapacitive behavior stemming from the porous carbon substrate of ZTO-G-C further boosts its overall K-storage capacity. It is anticipated that the insights gained from this study offer fresh perspectives for developing next-generation high-performance KIB anodes.

Keywords

ZnO-SnO₂-graphene-carbon / nanofibers / anode / potassium-ion batteries

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