Understanding the Predominant Potassium-Ion Intercalation Mechanism of Single-Phased Bimetal Oxides by <i>in Situ</i> Magnetometry

Abstract

The electrochemical performance of electrode materials is largely dependent on the structural and chemical evolutions during the charge-discharge processes. Hence, revealing ion storage chemistry could enlighten mechanistic understanding and offer guidance for rational design for energy storage materials. Here, we investigate the mechanisms of potassium (K)-ion storage in the promising bimetal oxide materials by <i>in situ</i> magnetometry. We focus on a single-phased hollow FeTiO₃ (SPH-FTO) hexagonal prism synthesized through a complexing-reagent assisted approach and find that the K-ion storage in this compound occurs predominantly with an intercalation mechanism and fractionally a conversion mechanism. We also demonstrate a K-ion hybrid capacitor assembled with the prepared SPH-FTO hexagonal prism anode and activated carbon cathode, delivering a high energy density and high power density as well as extraordinary cycling stability. This new understanding is used to showcase the inherently high K-ion storage properties from the earth-abundant FeTiO₃.