Porous carbon spheres and monoliths: morphology control, pore size tuning and their applications as Li-ion battery anode materials

Abstract

The development of the next generation of advanced lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) requires new & advanced materials and novel fabrication techniques in order to push the boundaries of performance and open up new and exciting markets. Structured carbon materials, with controlled pore features on the micron and nanometer scales, are explored as advanced alternatives to conventional graphite as the active material of the LIB anode. Mesoporous carbon materials, carbon nanotube-based materials, and graphene-based materials have been extensively investigated and reviewed. Morphology control (e.g., colloids, thin films, nanofibrous mats, monoliths) and hierarchical pores (particularly the presence of large pores) exhibit an increasing influence on LIB performance. This tutorial review focuses on the synthetic techniques for preparation of porous carbon spheres and carbon monoliths, including hydrothermal carbonization, emulsion templating, ice templating and new developments in making porous carbons from sustainable biomass and metal-organic framework templating. We begin with a brief introduction to LIBs, defining key parameters and terminology used to assess the performance of anode materials, and then address synthetic techniques for the fabrication of carbon spheres & monoliths and the relevant composites, followed, respectively, by a review of their performance as LIB anode materials. The review is completed with a prospective view on the possible direction of future research in this field.

Hyperporous Carbons from Hypercrosslinked Polymers

“…Nitrogen sorption isotherms for the HCPs, Ben750, Th850, and Py800, are shown in Figure 1b. The physical properties of these Porous carbonaceous materials have been of interest for many years because of applications [1] such as gas separation, [2] water purification, [3] catalysis, [4] electromagnetic interface shielding, [5] and energy storage in batteries, [6] supercapacitors, [7] and fuel cells. [8] Porous carbons are appealing because of their relatively low cost and their ease of preparation from a variety of natural and synthetic precursors.…”

Three-Dimensional Carbon Nanostructures for Advanced Lithium-Ion Batteries

“…Our research team recently reported exceptionally high and stable reversible capacities of~900 mAh·g −1 at 372 mA·g −1 or 1C (time for complete discharge in reciprocal hours) from CNTs directly grown on a Cu substrate [22]; we also demonstrated that the atomic layer deposition (ALD) alumina (Al 2 O 3 ) coated CNTs on Cu showed a specific capacity of 1100 mAh·g −1 [23]. Furthermore, graphene [6,[24][25][26] and nanoporous carbon [27,28] based anode materials have been widely investigated to enhance Li + ion intercalation capability.…”

Advanced Porous Carbon Materials for High‐Efficient Lithium Metal Anodes

“…[9] Because of its low density, high electronic conductivity, high mechanical strength, stable electrochemistry and low cost, carbon and its derived materials have been widely investigated as the anode materials for LIBs and as the crucial components for building advanced composite electrode materials. [10] Recently, considerable efforts have been made to demonstrate the feasibility of using carbon materials to improve the electrochemistry of Li metal anode. The rigid networks formed by carbon nanoparticle can be employed as a stable scaffold for Li stripping/plating to alleviate the volume change of Li anode.…”