Carbon nanospheres can improve potassium battery performance

Chinese researchers have discovered a new method of synthesizing hollow carbon nanospheres and used carbon nanospheres to create a potassium-ion battery, which is a cheaper alternative to lithium-ion batteries. Cao Anmin, an expert from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, explained: Hollow carbon nanospheres have good prospects in energy storage, catalysis and biomedicine. The traditional method of preparing hollow carbon structures requires hard templates, sodium hydroxide or hydrofluoric acid and other harmful chemicals, and this new method is an efficient and independent process. Cao Anmin's team discovered that polymer resins can be used to control the growth of nanospheres, which are carbonized in an oven at 1200°C and converted into the final hollow carbon product. Schematic diagram of the different evolution paths of hollow carbon nanostructures. Source: The Chinese team of American Journal of Chemistry used different synthesis methods to prepare nanospheres with both mesoporous and common surface properties. Researchers can observe the internal structure of hollow carbon nanospheres through a transmission electron microscope. Professor Cao explained: The electron beam penetrates the particles, and the shadows and blanks presented correspond to the particle entities and holes respectively. Professor Cao and his team used these nanospheres as high-capacity anodes in potassium ion batteries. According to Professor Cao, the hollow structure of the sample should be able to alleviate the problems caused by the accumulation of a large amount of potassium ions on the electrode. Professor Cao explained: Because of the abundant potassium resources, potassium-ion batteries will be a good choice for battery development. At the same time, in theory, potassium-ion batteries can provide a higher voltage output. Karin Kleiner, a battery researcher at Diamond Light Source in Oxford, pointed out: Potassium-based batteries may not enter the consumer market anytime soon. Nevertheless, she also mentioned: Professor Cao's use of nanospheres as a new cathode material will increase the energy density of the battery system, which has greater advantages over traditional lithium-ion batteries and provides great potential for research. Kleiner also explained how amorphous carbon enters each electrode and increases its dynamic trend. If it can be proved that nanospheres have advantages, it will have huge market development potential. The Chinese research team found that the three-layer structure of nanospheres is more stable and greatly increases the battery capacity. But Professor Cao also said: Although our battery has good stability and large capacity, our sample also has a big problem of low coulomb efficiency. They are currently studying this issue and hope to break through sooner. The original text comes from chemistryworld, the original title: Carbon nanospheres power up potassium batteries, translated and compiled by the material science and technology online team.