Biomass-Derived Porous Carbon from Agar as an Anode Material for Lithium-Ion Batteries

Abstract

New porous activated carbons with a high surface area as an anode material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) were synthesized by a one-step, sustainable, and environmentally friendly method. Four chemical activators—H2SO4, H3PO4, KOH, and ZnCl2—have been investigated as facilitators of the formation of the porous structure of activated carbon (AC) from an agar precursor. The study of the materials by Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) methods revealed its highly porous meso- and macro-structure. Among the used chemical activators, the AC prepared with the addition of KOH demonstrated the best electrochemical performance upon its reaction with lithium metal. The initial discharge capacity reached 931 mAh g−1 and a reversible capacity of 320 mAh g−1 was maintained over 100 cycles at 0.1 C. High rate cycling tests up to 10 C demonstrated stable cycling performance of the AC from agar.

Biomass Alginate Derived Oxygen-Enriched Carbonaceous Materials with Partially Graphitic Nanolayers for High Performance Anodes in Lithium-Ion Batteries

“…The poor efficiency value is usually thought to be caused by interfacial processes, as well as the irreversible insertion of lithium ions into certain undetermined places in Alg-C during the initial discharge phase. This is in accordance with the general consensus among researchers [ 28 , 32 , 36 ]. The Coulombic efficiency of carbonaceous-based electrodes is a significant factor for practical applications.…”

“…The anode materials for lithium storage to date have included a variety of carbon compounds derived from biomass carbon precursors [ 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 ]. The biomass-derived carbon materials that have been described thus far, however, tend to have a low capacity and/or an unsatisfactory cycling performance [ 36 , 37 , 38 ].…”

Synthesis of Free‐Standing Tin Phosphide/Phosphate Carbon Composite Nanofibers as Anodes for Lithium‐Ion Batteries with Improved Low‐Temperature Performance

“…All samples possess typical D and G bands at 1347 and 1588 cm −1 , respectively, implying the formation of graphitic carbon. [ 22 ] The highest graphitization degree of carbon is observed for pure Sn and 1:1 samples with the lowest I D / I G ratio ( Table 1 ). Additional small‐intensity peaks of phosphate appear at around 950 cm −1 on the spectra of P‐containing samples when Sn:P molar ratio is equal to or higher than 1:1, implying the presence of residual Sn x PO 4 .…”