Localized High‐Concentration Electrolytes Boost Potassium Storage in High‐Loading Graphite

Abstract

Abstract Reversible intercalation of potassium‐ion (K + ) into graphite makes it a promising anode material for rechargeable potassium‐ion batteries (PIBs). However, the current graphite anodes in PIBs often suffer from poor cyclic stability with low coulombic efficiency. A stable solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) is necessary for stabilizing the large interlayer expansion during K + insertion. Herein, a localized high‐concentration electrolyte (LHCE) is designed by adding a highly fluorinated ether into the concentrated potassium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide/dimethoxyethane, which forms a durable SEI on the graphite surface and enables highly reversible K + intercalation/deintercalation without solvent cointercalation. Furthermore, this LHCE shows a high ionic conductivity (13.6 mS cm −1 ) and excellent oxidation stability up to 5.3 V (vs K + /K), which enables compatibility with high‐voltage cathodes. The kinetics study reveals that K + intercalation/deintercalation does not follow the same pathway. The potassiated graphite exhibits excellent depotassiation rate capability, while the formation of a low stage intercalation compound is the rate‐limiting step during potassiation.