Na(+)/K(+) Hybrid Battery Based on a Sulfurized Polyacrylonitrile Cathode

Sulfurized polyacrylonitrile (SPAN) nanocomposites were synthesized and used as a cathode in a novel rechargeable Na(+)/K(+) hybrid battery with high performance for the first time. When 0.9 mol NaPF(6) and 0.1 mol KPF(6) were dissolved in ethylene carbonate (EC)/dimethyl carbonate(DMC)/ethyl methyl cabonate(EMC) (4:3:2, v/v/v), used as hybrid electrolyte, Na foil was used as the anode, and SPAN composites were used as the cathode, a hybrid ion system was created via composition–decomposition between Na(+)/K(+) and SPAN and stripping–depositing of Na(+) with suppressed dendrites by taking advantage of the self-healing electrostatic shield effect. As a result, a highly reversible calculated capacity of 1405.5 mAh g(sulfur)(−1) with a coulombic efficiency approaching 100% after 100 cycles was obtained at a current density of 35 mA g(−1). This environmentally benign, low-cost Na(+)/K(+) hybrid battery shows promise as a new future flexible energy storage system (ESS) technology.