Effect of Water and Alkali-Ion Content on the Structure of Manganese(II) Hexacyanoferrate(II) by a Joint Operando X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy and Chemometric Approach

Cation-self-shielding strategy promises high-voltage all-Prussian-blue-based aqueous K-ion batteries

Prussian blue analogues (PBAs) are promising electrode candidates for aqueous batteries because the inevitable interstitial water is generally thought to have little impact on battery performance. Currently, mounting researches have focused on optimizing PBA properties by varying transition metal composition, but less attention has been paid to interstitial water, especially in alkali metal-ion deficient PBAs with large cavities. Here, we employ the water-rich K0.01Mn[Cr(CN)6]0.74·4.75H2O as the negative electrode to study the effect of interstitial water. It is found that during de-potassiation, the electrode undergoes dehydration, which negatively impacts kinetics, distorts structure, and raises charging potential. A cation-self-shielding strategy involving Dihydroxyacetone (DHA) in the electrolyte to secure the water-rich state is then proposed. The built 1.82 V all-Prussian blue aqueous K-ion battery delivers a high practical specific energy of ~76 Wh kg-1 over 1.5 V (based on the total mass of active materials in both electrodes). This study reveals the significance of interstitial water on the kinetics of PBA negative electrodes and promotes the exploration of water-containing electrodes to develop high-voltage aqueous rechargeable batteries for energy storage applications.

Highlighting Charge Redistribution Phenomenon in Mn-Based Prussian Blue Analogues for Enhancing Redox Stability

The development of sodium-ion batteries is increasingly critical due to the limited availability and rising cost of lithium resources, positioning a promising alternative to lithium-ion batteries. Conventional Mn-based cathode materials often suffer from the strong Jahn-Teller effect of MnIII, leading to structural instability and capacity fading. Herein, it is demonstrated that activating charge redistribution between adjacent transition metals in Mn-based Prussian blue analogues, driven by tuning electronic conductivity, plays a crucial role in mitigating the Jahn-Teller effect. X-ray absorption spectroscopy reveals the electronic interaction between Mn and Fe under charge redistribution by demonstrating their complementary redox behavior. Computational analysis attributes this charge redistribution to the structural framework of Prussian blue analogues, where the energy barrier for charge transfer across FeCNMn bonds is modulated by electrode-level conductivity. This strategy demonstrates the enhanced cycle stability by mitigating Jahn-Teller effect while effectively maintains Mn redox activity beyond the trivalent state. Consequently, this presents a distinct advantage in terms of energy density, and these findings suggest that with optimized electronic conductivity, Mn-based Prussian blue analogues can be positioned as promising cathode materials for next-generation sodium-ion batteries with high energy density and enhanced cycling performance.

Operando Synchrotron X-Ray Absorption Spectroscopy: A Key Tool for Cathode Material Studies in Next-Generation Batteries

Rechargeable batteries are central to modern energy storage systems, from portable electronics to electric vehicles. The cathode material, a critical component, largely dictates a battery's energy density, capacity, and overall performance. This review focuses on the application of operando X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) to study cathode materials in Li-ion, Na-ion, Li-S, and Na-S batteries. Operando XAS provides real-time insights into the local electronic structure, oxidation states, and coordination environments, which are crucial for understanding complex electrochemical processes, such as redox reactions, phase transitions, and structural degradation. The review highlights the strengths of hard and soft XAS techniques in probing transition metal (TM) and anionic redox processes, particularly in layered oxide cathodes, where reversible oxygen redox and TM behavior are pivotal. The role of operando XAS is also explored in analyzing conversion-type S-based cathodes, where it helps unravel the intricate reaction mechanisms. Furthermore, the review addresses the challenges of in situ cell design for operando XAS, especially under ultrahigh vacuum conditions for soft XAS. By discussing recent advancements and future directions, this review underscores the critical role of operando XAS in driving innovation and improving the design and performance of next-generation battery technologies.

A Self-Constructed Mg2+/K+ Co-Doped Prussian Blue with Superior Cycling Stability Enabled by Enhanced Coulombic Attraction

Prussian blue (PB) is regarded as a promising cathode for sodium-ion batteries because of its sustainable precursor elements (e.g., Mn, Fe), easy preparation, and unique framework structure. However, the unstable structure and inherent crystal H2O restrain its practical application. For this purpose, a self-constructed trace Mg2+/K+ co-doped PB prepared via a sea-water-mediated method is proposed to address this problem. The Mg2+/K+ co-doping in the Na sites of PB is permitted by both thermodynamics and kinetics factors when synthesized in sea water. The results reveal that the introduced Mg2+ and K+ are immovable in the PB lattices and can form stronger K‒N and Mg‒N Coulombic attraction to relieve phase transition and element dissolution. Besides, the Mg2+/K+ co-doping can reduce defect and H2O contents. As a result, the PB prepared in sea water exhibits an extremely long cycle life (80.1% retention after 2400 cycles) and superior rate capability (90.4% capacity retention at 20 C relative to that at 0.1 C). To address its practical applications, a sodium salts recycling strategy is proposed to greatly reduce the PB production cost. This work provides a self-constructed Mg2+/K+ co-doped high-performance PB at a low preparation cost for sustainable, large-scale energy storage.

In Situ Growth of Sodium Manganese Hexacyanoferrate on Carbon Nanotubes for High-Performance Sodium-Ion Batteries

Sodium manganese hexacyanoferrate (NaMnHCF) has emerged as a research hotspot among Prussian blue analogs for sodium-ion battery cathode materials due to its advantages of high voltage, high specific capacity, and abundant raw materials. However, its practical application is limited by its poor electronic conductivity. In this study, we aim to solve this problem through the in situ growth of NaMnHCF on carbon nanotubes (CNTs) using a simple coprecipitation method. The results show that the overall electronic conductivity of NaMnHCF is significantly improved after the introduction of CNTs. The NaMnHCF@10%CNT sample presents a specific capacity of 90 mA h g-1, even at a current density of 20 C (2400 mA g-1). The study shows that the optimized composite exhibits a superior electrochemical performance at different mass loadings (from low to high), which is attributed to the enhanced electron transport and shortened electron pathway. Surprisingly, the cycling performance of the composites was also improved, resulting from decreased polarization and the subsequent reduction in the side reactions at the cathode/electrolyte interface. Furthermore, we revealed the evolution of potential plateau roots from the extraction of crystal water during the charge-discharge process of NaMnHCF based on the experimental results. This study is instructive not only for the practical application of NaMnHCF materials but also for advancing our scientific understanding of the behavior of crystal water during the charge-discharge process.

Mapping Heterogeneity of Pristine and Aged Li- and Na-Mnhcf Cathode by Synchrotron-Based Energy-Dependent Full Field Transmission X-ray Microscopy

Manganese hexacyanoferrate is a promising cathode material for lithium and sodium ion batteries, however, it suffers of capacity fading during the cycling process. To access the structural and functional characteristics at the nanometer scale, fresh and cycled electrodes are extracted and investigated by transmission soft X-ray microscopy, which allows chemical characterization with spatial resolution from position-dependent x-ray spectra at the Mn L-, Fe L- and N K-edges. Furthermore, soft X-rays prove to show superior sensitivity toward Fe, compare to hard X-rays. Inhomogeneities within the samples are identified, increasing in the aged electrodes, more dramatically in the Li-ion system, which explains the poorer cycle life as Li-ion cathode material. Local spectra, revealing different oxidation states over the sample with strong correlation between the Fe L-edge, Mn L-edge, and N K-edge, imply a coupling between redox centers and an electron delocalization over the host framework.

Prussian Blue Analogues for Sodium-Ion Batteries: Past, Present, and Future

Prussian blue analogues (PBAs) have attracted wide attention for their application in the energy storage and conversion field due to their low cost, facile synthesis, and appreciable electrochemical performance. At the present stage, most research on PBAs is focused on their material-level optimization, whereas their properties in practical battery systems are seldom considered. This review aims to first provide an overview of the history and parameters of PBA materials and analyze the fundamental principles toward rational design of PBAs, and then evaluate the prospects and challenges for PBAs for practical sodium-ion batteries, hoping to bridge the gap between laboratory research and commercial reality.

Low Temperature Deposition of Highly Cyclable Porous Prussian Blue Cathode for Lithium-Ion Microbattery

Small dimension Li-ion microbatteries are of great interest for embedded microsystems and on-chip electronics. However, the deposition of fully crystallized cathode thin film generally requires high temperature synthesis or annealing, incompatible with microfabrication processes of integrated Si devices. In this work, a low temperature deposition process of a porous Prussian blue-based cathode on Si wafers is reported. The active material is electrodeposited under aqueous conditions using a pulsed deposition protocol on a porous dendritic metallic current collector that ensures good electronic conductivity of the composite. The high voltage cathodes exhibit a huge areal capacity of ≈650 μAh cm^-2 and are able to withstand more than 2000 cycles at 0.25 mA cm^-2 rate. The application of these electrode composites with porous Sn based alloying anodes is also demonstrated for the first time in full cell configuration, with high areal energy of 3.1 J cm^-2 and more than 95% reversible capacity. This outstanding performance can be attributed to uniform deposition of Prussian blue materials on conductive matrix, which maintains electronic conductivity while simultaneously providing mechanical integrity to the electrode. This finding opens new horizons in the monolithic integration of energy storage components compatible with the semiconductor industry for self-powered microsystems.

Defect-free potassium manganese hexacyanoferrate cathode material for high-performance potassium-ion batteries

Potassium-ion batteries (KIBs) are promising electrochemical energy storage systems because of their low cost and high energy density. However, practical exploitation of KIBs is hampered by the lack of high-performance cathode materials. Here we report a potassium manganese hexacyanoferrate (K₂Mn[Fe(CN)₆]) material, with a negligible content of defects and water, for efficient high-voltage K-ion storage. When tested in combination with a K metal anode, the K₂Mn[Fe(CN)₆]-based electrode enables a cell specific energy of 609.7 Wh kg⁻¹ and 80% capacity retention after 7800 cycles. Moreover, a K-ion full-cell consisting of graphite and K₂Mn[Fe(CN)₆] as anode and cathode active materials, respectively, demonstrates a specific energy of 331.5 Wh kg⁻¹, remarkable rate capability, and negligible capacity decay for 300 cycles. The remarkable electrochemical energy storage performances of the K₂Mn[Fe(CN)₆] material are attributed to its stable frameworks that benefit from the defect-free structure.

Potassium-ion battery is a promising candidate for post-Li-ion energy storage but the lack of cathode materials hinders practical exploitation. Here the authors investigate defect-free potassium manganese hexacyanoferrate as cathode active material for high energy and long lifespan K-based cells.

Trends in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and chemometrics applied to chemical data

Artificial intelligence-based methods such as chemometrics, machine learning, and deep learning are promising tools that lead to a clearer and better understanding of data. Only with these tools, data can be used to its full extent, and the gained knowledge on processes, interactions, and characteristics of the sample is maximized. Therefore, scientists are developing data science tools mentioned above to automatically and accurately extract information from data and increase the application possibilities of the respective data in various fields. Accordingly, AI-based techniques were utilized for chemical data since the 1970s and this review paper focuses on the recent trends of chemometrics, machine learning, and deep learning for chemical and spectroscopic data in 2020. In this regard, inverse modeling, preprocessing methods, and data modeling applied to spectra and image data for various measurement techniques are discussed.