Biomass-derived nanostructured porous carbons for lithium-sulfur batteries

Abstract

Biomass has been utilized as an energy source for thousands of years typically in the form of wood and charcoal. Technological advances create new methodologies to extract energy and chemicals from biomass. The biomass-derived nanostructured porous carbons (BDNPCs) are the most promising sulfur hosts and interlayers in rechargeable lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries. In this article, a comprehensive review is provided in the synthesis of nanostructured porous carbon materials for high-performance rechargeable Li-S batteries by using biomass. The performances of the Li-S batteries dependent on the porous structures (micro, meso and hierarchical) from BDNPCs are discussed, which can provide an in-depth understanding and guide rational design of high-performance cathode materials by using low-cost, sustainable and natural bio-precursors. Furthermore, the current existing challenges and the future research directions for enhancing the performance of Li-S batteries by using natural biomass materials are also addressed.

Integrated Design of MnO2@Carbon Hollow Nanoboxes to Synergistically Encapsulate Polysulfides for Empowering Lithium Sulfur Batteries

“…Integrated micro/nano, hollow, or yolk shell carbon structures have been designed for the enhancement of the conductivity and entrapment of polysulfides . The commonly used strategic approach is to encapsulate sulfur in conductive, high surface area porous carbon framework (e.g., hierarchical porous carbon, graphene/graphene oxides, 1D carbon nanostructures), polymers derived conductive carbon, and noncarbon porous materials (e.g., metal‐organic framework and mesoporous silica (SBA‐15)) to improve the output of the sulfur cathodes. Despite their great potential in enhancing the performance, the existed carbon/sulfur composites have nonpolar nature and poor affinity toward Li 2 S x ( x = 4–8) both of which inevitably cause the decay of rate capability and even the specific capacity .…”

Structural Design of Lithium–Sulfur Batteries: From Fundamental Research to Practical Application

“…3). There have been several reviews that expand on these topics and can be found in the references [106][107][108][109][110][111][112][113][114][115][116][117][118] (Fig. 5).…”

Biomass-derived carbon materials with structural diversities and their applications in energy storage

“…Thus, it is significant to seek green, efficient, low-cost preparation method and renewable raw materials for carbon materials. As carbon-rich precursors, biomass has been considered as a promising candidate in preparation of functional carbon materials because they are bountiful, renewable, non-toxic and low cost [20]. Importantly, the nature usually gives biomass a variety of microstructures, which could be used as precursors for preparing carbon materials with specific structures.…”