Catalytic Graphitization of Biocarbon for Lithium‐Ion Anodes: A Minireview

Abstract

The demand for electrochemical energy storage is increasing rapidly due to a combination of decreasing costs in renewable electricity, governmental policies promoting electrification, and a desire by the public to decrease CO2 emissions. Lithium‐ion batteries are the leading form of electrochemical energy storage for electric vehicles and the electrical grid. Lithium‐ion cell anodes are mostly made of graphite, which is derived from geographically constrained, non‐renewable resources using energy‐intensive and highly polluting processes. Thus, there is a desire to innovate technologies that utilize abundant, affordable, and renewable carbonaceous materials for the sustainable production of graphite anodes under relatively mild process conditions. This review highlights novel attempts to realize the aforementioned benefits through innovative technologies that convert biocarbon resources, including lignocellulose, into high quality graphite for use in lithium‐ion anodes.

Probing the evolution in catalytic graphitization of biomass-based materials for enduring energetic applications

“…Metal catalysts have been widely studied for their dual role as catalysts of the graphitization process and as influences on the resulting carbon structure. 2,42,61 These metals exhibit varying catalytic activities and interactions with carbon precursors, leading to the investigation of the nuances of their impact on graphitic carbon properties. Sugarcane bagasse was used to produce porous graphitic carbon (PGC) by optimization of iron( iii ) nitrate concentration.…”

Catalytic graphitization of pyrolysis oil for anode application in lithium-ion batteries

“…Synthetic graphite exhibits dominance because of its superior uniformity, quality, and inherent properties. 7 The utilization of synthetic graphite in the U.S. now stands at 83%, with no existing domestic mining operations for natural graphite. 5 Moreover, graphite mining from geographically constrained natural deposits and its subsequent purification by toxic hydrofluoric acid (HF) make natural graphite less attractive for battery applications.…”

“…Biomass materials are inherently non-graphitizing, and thus catalysts are typically needed to convert biomass into highly crystalline graphite. 7 Numerous transition metals such as iron, cobalt, nickel, etc . can utilize their d-orbital electron vacancies to form metastable carbides that can promote the catalytic graphitization process.…”

“…These feedstocks include petroleum coke, 17,18 anthracite, 19 hardwoods, 20 softwoods, 20 lignin, 21 cellulose, 22,23 bacterial cellulose, 24 glucose, 20 chitin, 25 chitosan, 26 algae, 27 fiberboard, 28 waste paper towel, 29 oil palm frond, 30 plant leaves, 31 etc . For a better understanding of the effects of feedstocks on the graphite properties including electrochemical performance as a LIB anode, the readers are referred to the recent review article published by Lower and Dey et al 7 To the best of our knowledge, there is no published study on the catalytic conversion of pyrolysis oil into LIB-grade graphite. The fast pyrolysis (FP) of biomass generates three main products: bio-char (solid), pyrolysis oil (liquid), and light gas.…”