Seeking effective energy technology has become a herculean task in today’s world. Sodium-ion batteries play a vital role in the present energy tech market due to their entrancing electrochemical properties and this work is a breakthrough for developing sodium-ion batteries. As per recent reports, the preparation of anode materials seems to be very tedious in the realm of sodium-ion batteries. To remedy these issues, this work enlightens the preparation of hard carbon (HC) derived from coconut sheath (CS) by a pyrolysis process with different activating agents (KOH, NaOH, ZnCl2) and employed as an anode material for Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). The prepared anode material was characterized for its thermal, structural, functional, morphological, and electrochemical properties. Additionally, the surface area and pore diameter of the as-prepared anode material was studied by nitrogen adsorption and desorption isotherm methods. The coconut sheath-derived hard carbon (CSHC) anode material delivered an initial charge capacity of 141 mAh g−1, 153 mAh g−1, and 162 mAh g−1 at a 1 C rate with a coulombic efficiency over 98.8%, 99.3%, and 99.5%, even after 100 cycles, respectively.

Hard carbon (HC) was successfully synthesized using a bio-waste precursor from Musa acuminata fiber (MaF) as an eco-friendly option through the pyrolysis process at 500 °C. Further, it was activated using the chemical activating agents, NaOH and ZnCl2, at 900 °C, named Na–MaFDHC and Zn–MaFDHC. The MaFDHCs are employed as anode materials for emerging sodium-ion batteries (NIBs). The nitrogen (N2) adsorption and desorption studies and HRTEM images resulted that the MaFDHCs have a mesoporous nature. The surface area and pore diameter of the carbon materials are increased significantly after the treatment with activating agents, which are important factors for anodes of NIBs. The electrochemical performance of the MaFDHCs depends on the activation agent. Zn–MaFDHC with a higher surface area showed better results, yielding a charge capacity of about 114 mAh g−1 at a 1C rate.