Heteroatoms-Doped Mesoporous Carbon Nanosheets with Dual Diffusion Pathways for Highly Efficient Potassium Ion...

The high potassization/depotassization energy barriers and lack of efficient ion diffusion pathways are two serious obstacles for carbon-based materials to achieve satisfactory potassium ion storage performance. Herein, a facile and controllable one-step exfoliation-doping-etching strategy is proposed to construct heteroatoms (N, O, and S)-doped mesoporous few-layer carbon nanosheets (NOS-C). The mixed molten salts of KCl/K₂SO₄ are innovatively used as the exfoliators, dopants, and etching agents, which enable NOS-C with expanded interlayer spacing and uniformly distributed mesopores with the adjusted electronic structure of surrounding carbon atoms, contributing efficient dual (vertical and horizontal) K-ion diffusion pathways, low potassization/depotassization energy barriers and abundant active sites. Thus, the NOS anodes achieve a high reversible capacity of 516.8 mAh g^-1 at 0.05 A g^-1, superior rate capability of 202.8 mAh g^-1 at 5 A g^-1 and excellent long-term cyclic stability, and their practical application potential is demonstrated by the assembled potassium-ion full batteries. Moreover, a surface-interlayer synergetic K⁺ storage mechanism is revealed by a combined theoretical and experimental approach including in situ EIS, in situ Raman, ex situ XPS, and SEM analysis. The proposed K⁺ storage mechanism and unique structural engineering provide a new pathway for potassium-ion storage devices and even beyond.