Work

Transient Polarized Cavities Mediate an Ultrafast and Stable Graphite Anode for Potassium‐Ion Batteries

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: ABSTRACT Conventional ester‐based electrolytes exhibit intrinsic limitations for potassium‐ion batteries (PIBs): ethylene carbonate is solid at room temperature, while propylene carbonate induces graphite exfoliation via solvent co‐intercalation and suffers from poor rate capability. To address these challenges, we design a dipole‐engineered electrolyte that enables the formation of transient polarized cavities upon K + desolvation. These cavities generate localized negative electrostatic potentials that attract incoming K + ions, effectively lowering the ion transport barrier. This mechanism not only enhances K + kinetics but also promotes the formation of a stable, ion‐conductive solid electrolyte interphase, enabling highly reversible K + (de)intercalation in graphite. As a result, the K||graphite half‐cell delivers a high capacity of 290 mAh g −1 at 50 mA g −1 with negligible decay over 16 months (> 1000 cycles), and retains 226 mAh g −1 even at 500 mA g −1 . This work reveals a cavity‐mediated ion transport mechanism that offers new insights for designing high‐rate, long‐life graphite anodes in PIBs.

Source: Angewandte Chemie International Edition

DOI: 10.1002/anie.6110810

Authors: Mengkang Shen, Rongyao Yuan, Hongwei Fu, Ling Fan, Jiang Zhou, Bingan Lu

Institutions: Hunan University, Central South University

Language: English

Topic: Advancements in Battery Materials

Subfield: Electrical and Electronic Engineering

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Affordable and clean energy

Open Access status: green

Funders: National Natural Science Foundation of China, China Postdoctoral Science Foundation, National Key Research and Development Program of China