Carbon‐Based Materials for Lithium‐Ion Batteries, Electrochemical Capacitors, and Their Hybrid Devices

Abstract

A rapidly developing market for portable electronic devices and hybrid electrical vehicles requires an urgent supply of mature energy-storage systems. As a result, lithium-ion batteries and electrochemical capacitors have lately attracted broad attention. Nevertheless, it is well known that both devices have their own drawbacks. With the fast development of nanoscience and nanotechnology, various structures and materials have been proposed to overcome the deficiencies of both devices to improve their electrochemical performance further. In this Review, electrochemical storage mechanisms based on carbon materials for both lithium-ion batteries and electrochemical capacitors are introduced. Non-faradic processes (electric double-layer capacitance) and faradic reactions (pseudocapacitance and intercalation) are generally explained. Electrochemical performance based on different types of electrolytes is briefly reviewed. Furthermore, impedance behavior based on Nyquist plots is discussed. We demonstrate the influence of cell conductivity, electrode/electrolyte interface, and ion diffusion on impedance performance. We illustrate that relaxation time, which is closely related to ion diffusion, can be extracted from Nyquist plots and compared between lithium-ion batteries and electrochemical capacitors. Finally, recent progress in the design of anodes for lithium-ion batteries, electrochemical capacitors, and their hybrid devices based on carbonaceous materials are reviewed. Challenges and future perspectives are further discussed.

Understanding the crack formation of graphite particles in cycled commercial lithium-ion batteries by focused ion beam - scanning electron microscopy

“…Due to the high energy and power density of Li-ion batteries (LIBs), it has become a promising candidate for these portable devices. [1][2][3][4][5] Increasing efforts have been made to investigate the electrode materials to achieve LIBs with good performance, low cost, and safety.…”

“…[3,[5][6][7][8][9][10][11] Among these candidates, Graphite-LiFeO 4 is one of the most widely used systems of commercial LIBs, owing to its superb safety feature and prolonged cycle life. [12][13][14] The long-term failure and degradation mechanism of the Graphite-LiFeO 4 batteries are mainly due to the degradation of the graphite anode, although the detailed mechanisms have not been fully identified.…”

Construction of nitrogen-doped porous carbon buildings using interconnected ultra-small carbon nanosheets for ultra-high rate supercapacitors

“…1,2 Supercapacitors, also known as electrochemical capacitors, are considered as one of the most promising candidates for high performance energy storage devices because of its high power density, excellent cycling stability and fast charge-discharge rate. [3][4][5] However, supercapacitors suffer from a lower energy density (4~10 Wh kg -1 ), 6, 7 which would limit their practical applications.…”

All-carbon-based porous topological semimetal for Li-ion battery anode material

“…Secondly, a high fraction of exposed edge planes in porous carbon will cause extremely irreversible side reactions with electrolyte solution which give rise to a low Coulombic efficiency (17). For example, the Coulombic efficiencies of the porous graphene nanosheets, CNFs, and CNTs are all smaller than 50% (15,20). Considering that a full Li-ion cell has a limited Li inventory, this is a serious disadvantage in terms of achievable capacity.…”