Low temperature carbonization of cellulose nanocrystals for high performance carbon anode of sodium-ion batteries

Abstract

Cellulose is the most abundant renewable material in nature. In this work, ordered cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) have been transformed into porous carbon with an increased short-range ordered lattice and percolated carbon nanofiber at a relatively low carbonization temperature of 1000 ºC. When evaluated as anode for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs), the CNC derived porous carbon shows superior performances including a high reversible capacity of 340 mAh/g at a current density of 100 mA/g, which is one of the highest capacity carbon anodes for SIBs. Moreover, the rate capability and cycling stability of the porous carbon are also excellent. The excellent electrochemical performance is attributed to the larger interlayer spacing, porous structure, and high electrical conductivity arising from the ordered carbon lattice and the percolated carbon nanofiber. The formation of nano-sized graphitic carbon from the ordered CNC at the low carbonization temperature of 1000 °C is supported by both molecular dynamic simulations and as well as in-situ TEM measurements. This study shed light on the fundamental understanding of converting hydrocarbon biopolymer from wood to high quality carbon with a large domain of ordered lattice.

Hard Carbons for Sodium‐Ion Battery Anodes: Synthetic Strategies, Material Properties, and Storage Mechanisms

“…[116] For these applications, high-surface-area alternatives have attracted particulara ttention, owing to the availability of maximum exposed surface for catalysis and surface adsorption. [117][118][119][120][121][122][123][124][125][126][127][128][129][130][131][132] Heteroatom-doped carbon systems have shown promising activity as ORR catalysts for applicationsi nf uel cells, and a number of modified hard carbons have been reported with commendable performances as electrocatalysts for the ORR. [133] Doping of various heteroatoms and their codoping have been shown to enhance the activity,r elative to undoped systems.…”

Self‐Templating Synthesis of 3D Hollow Tubular Porous Carbon Derived from Straw Cellulose Waste with Excellent Performance for Supercapacitors

“…Zhu et al. extracted ordered cellulose nanocrystals from wood blocks to prepare porous carbon as the anode of sodium‐ion batteries through low‐temperature carbonization …”

High‐Performance Sodium‐Ion Battery Anode via Rapid Microwave Carbonization of Natural Cellulose Nanofibers with Graphene Initiator

“…CNFs were used here as an abundant, renewable, and environmentally friendly precursor in energy storage. CNFs can be obtained from natural plants, which contain a large content of cellulose fibers . The long‐time and high‐temperature pyrolysis of CNFs can prepare advanced carbonaceous materials for energy storage, which induces high‐energy consumption in the traditional carbonization process.…”

“…Natural products, such as chitosan, cellulose, and lignin, can be converted to hard carbon materials under pyrolysis treatment due to their advantages of abundance, high accessibility and sustainability . Cellulose nanofibers (CNFs), exfoliated from cellulose microfibers in the natural plants, have been demonstrated as a promising precursor for carbonaceous materials via conventional pyrolysis for supercapacitors and batteries . However, hard carbon materials are synthesized via long‐time (at least several hours) pyrolysis of the carbon precursors at high‐temperature treatment (1800 °C), which hampers the development of the fast and large‐scale anode material manufacturing .…”