Rice Straw‐Derived Biochar as Anode Material for Lithium‐Ion Battery: A Step toward Sustainable Development

Abstract

In the present study, sustainable upscaling of rice straw, an agri‐residue, is explored as the way to obtain active material to prepare anode for use in lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs). The biochar having high carbon and low silica content is prepared by initial chemical treatment of rice straw followed by its pyrolysis. The pristine and modified biochar are characterized using Brunauer‐Emmett‐Teller surface area, energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy, carbon hydrogen nitrogen sulphur elemental analysis, scanning electron microscopy, X‐Ray power diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and Raman analysis and the modified biochar show an enhancement in graphitic carbon content. A coin cell is assembled using anode prepared from modified biochar. The coin cell is subjected to electrochemical testing and had a discharge capacity of 352 mA.h g−1. Further, the coin cell is tested for 100 cycles and a columbic efficiency of 99.7% was obtained. Therefore, biochar derived from pyrolysis of rice straw has the potential to be used as anode material for LIBs.