Mesoporous N,S-Rich Carbon Hollow Nanospheres Controllably Prepared From Poly(2-aminothiazole) with Ultrafast and Highly Durable Potassium Storage

Carbon with few active sites and narrow interlayer distance as anode for potassium ion batteries (PIBs) always shows low capacity, sluggish kinetics, and low Columbic efficiency. Herein, poly(2-aminothiazole) (P2AT) hollow nanospheres are first synthesized as a carbon source for high N, S co-doped carbon hollow nanospheres (NS-HCSs). The hollow P2AT nanospheres can be controllably synthesized with an Ostwald ripening process. The unique doping and structure endow the NS-HCSs with high content of N and S dopants in carbon, mesoporous structure with enlarged interlayer distance, elevated ratio of N-6 and N-5 species, enhanced conductivity, abundant surface defects, and large active sites. When evaluated as an anode for PIBs, NS-HCSs exhibit a high reversible capacity of 422 mAh g^‒1 and excellent long-term cycling performance. Using combined experiment and theoretical computation, including in situ TEM and in situ Raman, the K-storage mechanism and dynamic evolution processes of NS-HCSs, including low volume expansion, enhanced K-ion adsorption, and stable composition and structure evolution during repeating potassiation/de-potassiation processes is revealed. This quantitative design for highly durable K-storage and large capacity in carbon can be advantageous for the rational design of anode materials of PIBs with ideal electrochemical performance.