Premium
Unraveling Electrode Surface Chemistry in Determining Interphase Stability and Deposition Homogeneity for Anode‐Free Potassium Metal Batteries
Author(s) -
Yu Zhenlu,
Liu Qun,
Wang Danni,
Shi Jie,
Zhai Dengyun,
Zhang Biao
Publication year - 2025
Publication title -
angewandte chemie international edition
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.831
H-Index - 550
eISSN - 1521-3773
pISSN - 1433-7851
DOI - 10.1002/anie.202502091
Subject(s) - electrolyte , anode , chemical engineering , nucleation , electrode , materials science , potassium , chemistry , inorganic chemistry , metallurgy , organic chemistry , engineering
Abstract Potassium metal batteries with an anode‐less/‐free configuration could realize competitive energy density, which requires exceptional potassium plating/stripping reversibility via guiding smooth potassium growth and building mechanically stable solid electrolyte interphase (SEI). Electrolyte engineering has been the most widely adopted strategy, but there is less understanding of the electrode effect. We demonstrate that the extent of electrolyte decomposition could also be regulated through electrode surface modification. Elevating the work function of an Al current collector by coating a thin layer of Ni‐decorated carbon nanofiber could greatly suppress the copious solvent reduction, leading to the formation of inorganic‐rich SEIs. Such SEIs possess a large elastic deformation energy to accommodate the volume change and a high ionic conductivity to boost the reaction kinetics. Moreover, the potassiophilic nickel species offer abundant active sites to induce homogeneous potassium deposition. Benefiting from the synergy of stable interphases and promoted nucleation, the modified Al enables a 4.4 V anode‐free cell in a normal‐concentration electrolyte without anode precycling.