Challenges and Strategies toward Cathode Materials for Rechargeable Potassium-Ion Batteries

Abstract

With increasing demand for grid-scale energy storage, potassium-ion batteries (PIBs) have emerged as promising complements or alternatives to commercial lithium-ion batteries owing to the low cost, natural abundance of potassium resources, the low standard reduction potential of potassium, and fascinating K⁺ transport kinetics in the electrolyte. However, the low energy density and unstable cycle life of cathode materials hamper their practical application. Therefore, cathode materials with high capacities, high redox potentials, and good structural stability are required with the advancement toward next-generation PIBs. To this end, understanding the structure-dependent intercalation electrochemistry and recognizing the existing issues relating to cathode materials are indispensable prerequisites. This review summarizes the recent advances of PIB cathode materials, including metal hexacyanometalates, layered metal oxides, polyanionic frameworks, and organic compounds, with an emphasis on the structural advantages of the K⁺ intercalation reaction. Moreover, major current challenges with corresponding strategies for each category of cathode materials are highlighted. Finally, future research directions and perspectives are presented to accelerate the development of PIBs and facilitate commercial applications. It is believed that this review will provide practical guidance for researchers engaged in developing next-generation advanced PIB cathode materials.

Keywords: cathode materials; charge storage mechanisms; intercalation electrochemistry; potassium-ion batteries; potassium-ion storage.