Synthesis of CoSe2 reinforced nitrogen-doped carbon composites as advanced anodes for potassium-ion batteries

• Published in: Inorganic chemistry frontiers Vol. 9; no. 15; pp. 3719 - 3727
• Main Authors: Yang, Guowei, Chengzhan Yan, Hu, Ping, Fu, Qun, Zhao, Huaping, Lei, Yong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Royal Society of Chemistry 26.07.2022
• Subjects: Anodes; Carbon; Composite materials; Dopamine; Electrochemical analysis; Electrode materials; Energy storage; Inorganic chemistry; Kinetics; Nanoparticles; Nanostructure; Nitrogen; Potassium; Rechargeable batteries; Stability; Storage batteries; Synthesis
• ISSN: 2052-1545; 2052-1553
• DOI: 10.1039/d2qi00848c

Potassium-ion batteries (PIBs) are considered potential candidates for large-scale energy storage applications with cost superiority. However, the development of PIBs is severely restricted by the sluggish electrochemical kinetics and severe volume expansion of anode materials. Herein, CoSe2 reinforced nitrogen-doped carbon composites (CoSe2@C) are synthesized via a simple solution-based etching-coating method and further studied as high-performance anodes for PIBs. Electrochemical characterization studies indicate that the potassium storage performance of CoSe2@C composite anodes relies on the initial mass ratio of CoSe2 nanosheets and carbon precursors (that is dopamine hydrochloride) during the synthesis process. In the case of the mass ratio of CoSe2 nanosheets and dopamine hydrochloride being 1 : 1, the as-obtained CoSe2@C-1 : 1 anode exhibits a high reversible capacity (366.1 mA h g−1 at 0.1 A g−1 after 100 cycles), an excellent long-cycle stability (237.6 mA h g−1 at 1.0 A g−1 after 1000 cycles), and a good rate capability (281.5 mA h g−1 at 5.0 A g−1). The optimum performance of CoSe2@C-1 : 1 as a PIB anode in terms of cycling stability and kinetics is attributed to the uniform distribution of CoSe2 nanoparticles inside the carbon matrix.