As a graphite-like material, the LiBC can deliver a high
capacity
up to 500 mA h g–1 in Li-ion batteries, which is
dependent on the carbon precursor, the high-temperature treatment,
and the lithium insufficiency. However, the underlying mechanism is
still not clear for the electrochemical reactions of LiBC. In this
work, the pristine LiBC was reacted with aqueous solutions of different
alkalinity, which was delithiated chemically and retained the layered
structure. According to the XPS and NMR results, the B–B bond
might be produced through the aqueous reaction or the initial charge
process, which can be oxidized (charged) and reduced (discharged)
in the electrochemical measurements. In the Li-ion battery, the reversible
capacity of LiBC increases evidently with the alkalinity of aqueous
solution and significantly rises to a similar value of ca. 285 mA
h g–1 under 200 cycles. Therefore, the specific
capacity of LiBC should be contributed by the active sites of B–B
bonds, which can be significantly increased through the reaction with
the hydroxyl ions, and this strategy might be adopted to activate
more graphite-like materials.