Facile synthesis of KVPO4F/reduced graphene oxide hybrid as a high-performance cathode material for potassium-ion batteries

Potassium-ion batteries (PIBs) as a substitute for lithium-ion batteries have aroused widespread attention and have been rapidly developed. In the positive electrode materials, polyanionic compound has a high working voltage and large reversible capacity on account of its distinct framework and the strong inducing effect of the anionic group. Herein, a KVPO4F/reduced graphene oxide (KVPF/rGO) hybrid was fabricated via a simple multi-step approach as the polyanionic cathode material for PIBs. Profiting from the small size of KVPF nanoparticles and their uniform distribution in the rGO framework, the as-synthesized KVPF/rGO hybrid manifests a large discharge capacity of 103.2 mAh g−1 with an outstanding energy density of 436.5 Wh kg−1. Through rGO decoration, the hybrid also demonstrates remarkable rate and cycling properties. By employing ex-situ X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) techniques, the potassium storage mechanism of KVPF was clearly revealed. The facile preparation procedure and superior properties endow it great application prospects in large-scale energy storage.