Exploration of CrPO4@N-doped carbon composite as advanced anode material for potassium-ion batteries

•A core–shell CrPO4@NC composite is explored as an advanced type anode material for potassium-ion batteries (PIBs).•The CrPO4@NC composite exhibits a decent capacity, good rate capability, and superior stability for K-ions storage.•Synergistic effect of carbon coating layer and the formed P–C bonding endows outstanding properties.•Conversion reaction mechanism of CrPO4@NC composite with K+ ions was investigated. Metal phosphates are attracting great attention as anode materials for alkali-ion batteries due to their chemical stability, low working voltage, and high theoretical capacity. However, there are few reports on the application of metal phosphate as potassium-ion batteries (PIBs) anode material, and the potassium storage mechanism remains mysterious. Herein, a core–shell chromium phosphate@N-doped carbon (denoted as CrPO4@NC) composite is newly synthesized and demonstrated as conversion-type anode material for PIBs. The N-doped carbon coating layer effectively relieves the mechanical strain and improves electrical conductivity during repetitive cycling. The formed P–C bonding between CrPO4 core and nitrogen-doped carbon shell can help to maintain structural integrity and accelerate charge transfer. As a consequence, the CrPO4@NC composite exhibits a decent capacity (304.6 mAh g−1 at 50 mA g−1), good rate capability (135.1 mAh g−1 at 500 mA g−1), and superior stability (133.2 mAh g−1 at 200 mA g−1 after 100 cycles). Particularly noteworthy, we also provide experimental evidence that a conversion reaction occurs at CrPO4@NC electrode with metallic Cr and K3PO4 formed during the potassiation process. This work illustrates that CrPO4 may be a kind of anode material for applications in energy storage systems. [Display omitted]