Porous carbon microspheres with highly graphitized structure for potassium-ion storage.

Abstract Porous carbon materials are promising candidates for anode materials in rechargeable potassium-ion batteries. However, their high surface area and low crystallinity usually cause side reactions with electrolytes and slanted charge/discharge profiles. Herein, we report the synthesis of porous carbon microspheres with highly graphitized structure and enhanced potassium-ion storage properties. The prepared carbon microspheres exhibit a low working potential of ∼ 0.2 V, high Coulombic efficiency, and a stable reversible capacity of 292.0 mAh/g after 100 cycles, which is significantly higher than that of commercial graphite (137.5 mAh/g after 100 cycles). These desirable performances are attributed to the high crystallinity of carbon and its porous structure, which provide active sites for potassium-ion storage and alleviate the stress caused by the large volume change during the insertion and extraction of potassium ions.