Mesoporous prussian blue analogues: Template-free synthesis and sodium-ion battery applications

The synthesis of mesoporous Prussian blue analogues through a template-free methodology and the application of these mesoporous materials as high-performance cathode materials in sodium-ion batteries is presented. Crystalline mesostructures were produced through a synergistically coupled nanocrystal formation and aggregation mechanism. As cathodes for sodium-ion batteries, the Prussian blue analogues all show a reversible capacity of 65 mA h g^-1 at low current rate and show excellent cycle stability. The reported method stands as an environmentally friendly and low-cost alternative to hard or soft templating for the fabrication of mesoporous materials. Blue, blue, electric blue: Porous Prussian blue analogues with tailorable surface area and pore structure were synthesized through a facile template-free method at room temperature. This methodology could provide an alternative to the hard or soft templating methods for fabricating crystalline mesoporous materials. As cathodes for sodium-ion batteries, these porous Prussian blue analogues showed reversible capacity and excellent cycle stability.