Enabling nickel ferrocyanide nanoparticles for high-performance ammonium ion storage

Prussian blue and its analogs are extensively investigated as a cathode for ammonium-ion batteries. However, they often suffer from poor electronic conductivity. Here, we report a Ni2Fe(CN)6/multiwalled carbon nanotube composite electrode material, which is prepared using a simple coprecipitation approach. The obtained material consists of nanoparticles with sizes 30–50 nm and the multiwalled carbon nanotube embedded in it. The existence of multiwalled carbon nanotube ensures that the Ni2Fe(CN)6/multiwalled carbon nanotube composite shows excellent electrochemical performance, achieving a discharge capacity of 55.1 mAh·g−1 at 1 C and 43.2 mAh·g−1 even at 15 C. An increase in the ammonium-ion diffusion coefficient and ionic/electron conductivity based on kinetic investigations accounts for their high performance. Furthermore, detailed ex situ characterizations demonstrate that Ni2Fe(CN)6/multiwalled carbon nanotube composite offers three advantages: negligible lattice expansion during cycling, stable structure, and the reversible redox couple. Therefore, the Ni2Fe(CN)6/multi-walled carbon nanotube composite presents a long cycling life and high rate capacity. Finally, our study reports a desirable material for ammonium-ion batteries and provides a practical approach for improving the electrochemical performance of Prussian blue and its analogs.