Novel Potassium-Ion Hybrid Capacitor Based on an Anode of K₂Ti₆O₁₃ Microscaffolds

Abstract

To fill the gap between batteries and supercapacitors requires integration of the following features in a single system: energy density well above that of supercapacitors, cycle life much longer than Li-ion batteries, and low cost. Along this line, we report a novel nonaqueous potassium-ion hybrid capacitor (KIC) that employs an anode of K₂Ti₆O₁₃ (KTO) microscaffolds constructed by nanorods and a cathode of N-doped nanoporous graphenic carbon (NGC). K₂Ti₆O₁₃ microscaffolds are studied for potential applications as the anode material in potassium-ion storage for the first time. This material exhibits an excellent capacity retention of 85% after 1000 cycles. In addition, the NGC//KTO KIC delivers a high energy density of 58.2 Wh kg^-1 based on the active mass in both electrodes, high power density of 7200 W kg^-1, and outstanding cycling stability over 5000 cycles. The usage of K ions as the anode charge carrier instead of Li ions and the amenable performance of this device suggest that hybrid capacitor devices may welcome a new era of beyond lithium.