Highlights Hard-carbon anode dominated with ultra-micropores (< 0.5 nm) was synthesized for sodium-ion batteries via a molten diffusion–carbonization method. The ultra-micropores dominated carbon anode displays an enhanced capacity, which originates from the extra sodium-ion storage sites of the designed ultra-micropores. The thick electrode (~ 19 mg cm−2) with a high areal capacity of 6.14 mAh cm−2 displays an ultrahigh cycling stability and an outstanding low-temperature performance. Abstract Pore structure of hard carbon has a fundamental influence on the electrochemical properties in sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). Ultra-micropores (< 0.5 nm) of hard carbon can function as ionic sieves to reduce the diffusion of slovated Na+ but allow the entrance of naked Na+ into the pores, which can reduce the interficial contact between the electrolyte and the inner pores without sacrificing the fast diffusion kinetics. Herein, a molten diffusion–carbonization method is proposed to transform the micropores (> 1 nm) inside carbon into ultra-micropores (< 0.5 nm). Consequently, the designed carbon anode displays an enhanced capacity of 346 mAh g−1 at 30 mA g−1 with a high ICE value of ~ 80.6% and most of the capacity (~ 90%) is below 1 V. Moreover, the high-loading electrode (~ 19 mg cm−2) exhibits a good temperature endurance with a high areal capacity of 6.14 mAh cm−2 at 25 °C and 5.32 mAh cm−2 at − 20 °C. Based on the in situ X-ray diffraction and ex situ solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance results, the designed ultra-micropores provide the extra Na+ storage sites, which mainly contributes to the enhanced capacity. This proposed strategy shows a good potential for the development of high-performance SIBs.

Adopting a holistic three-step literature review workflow, a total of 1,639 journal articles were used in this study as the literature sample related to recycled aggregate (RA). This study summarized the existing research topics focusing on RA, gaps of current research, suggestions for promoting RA usage, and research directions for future work. A research framework was also proposed linking the existing research themes into trends in RA research. This review work serves as a foundation work to bridge the gap between scientific research and industry practice, as well as to guide the directions in RA-related academic work using an interdisciplinary approach.