The potassium ion battery has the potential to be a low cost storage based chemistry, but the large potassium ion puts a huge strain on a graphite anode and limits cycle life. Hence the cycle life is limited. The high abundance of potassium compared to lithium means the research continues to develop [1].
- Operationally similar to Lithium ion: potassium batteries store and release energy through the reversible movement of K+ between the cathode and anode
- Comparable redox potential: K/K+ = −2.93 V (Li/Li+ = −3.04 V) vs Standard Hydrogen Electrode (SHE)
Electrolytes
Do Non-Flammable Electrolytes make Batteries Safer? Work led by Siddhartha Nanda and Hadi Khani [2] published in Royal Society of Chemistry journal of Energy and Environmental Science, dives into the sources of heat generation for Triethyl Phosphate (TEP) with KFSI electrolyte and a potassiated graphite anode: Our findings demonstrate that low flammability alone does not ensure thermal safety; rather, interfacial reactivity governs risk.
References
- Jeseon Lee, Juyeon Lee, Eunho Lim, Recent progress and challenges in potassium-ion battery anodes: towards high-performance electrodes, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY OF ADVANCED MATERIALS2025, VOL. 26, NO. 1, 2518746
- Siddhartha Nanda, Andrei Dolocan, Ayrton Yanyachi, Saurabh Sandip Satpute, Doosoo Kim, Kami L. Hull, Donal Finegan, Ofodike Ezekoyeb and Hadi Khani, Thermal decomposition pathways and interfacial reactivity in potassium-ion batteries: focus on the electrolyte and anode, Energy Environ. Sci., 2026, 19, 1215-1236