Carbon-based interface engineering and architecture design for high-performance lithium metal anodes

Metallic lithium(Li)is considered the“Holy Grail”anode material for the nextgeneration of Li batteries with high energy density owing to the extraordinary theoretical specific capacity and the lowest negative electrochemical potential.However,owing to inhomogeneous Li-ion flux,Li anodes undergo uncontrollable Li deposition,leading to limited power output and practical applications.Carbon materials and their composites with controllable structures and properties have received extensive attention to guide the homogeneous growth of Li to achieve high-performance Li anodes.In this review,the correlation between the behavior of Li anode and the properties of carbon materials is proposed.Subsequently,we review emerging strategies for rationally designing high-performance Li anodes with carbon materials,including interface engineering(stabilizing solid electrolyte interphase layer and other functionalized interfacial layer)and architecture design of host carbon(constructing three-dimension structure,preparing hollow structure,introducing lithiophilic sites,optimizing geometric effects,and compositing with Li).Based on the insights,some prospects on critical challenges and possible future research directions in this field are concluded.It is anticipated that further innovative works on the fundamental chemistry and theoretical research of Li anodes are needed.

Synergistic effect of carbon nanotube and encapsulated carbon layer enabling high-performance SnS_2-based anode for lithium storage

Tin disulfide(SnS_(2)),due to large interlayer spacing and high theoretical capacity,is regarded as a prospective anode material for lithium-ion batteries.Nevertheless,the poor electron conductivity of SnS_(2) and huge volumetric change during the lithiation/delithiation process lead to a rapid capacity decay of the battery,hindering its commercialization.To address these issues,herein,SnS_(2) is in-situ grown on the surface of carbon nanotubes(CNT)and then encapsulated with a layer of porous amorphous carbon(CNT/SnS_(2)@C)by simple solvothermal and further carbonization treatment.The synergistic effect of CNT and porous carbon layer not only enhances the electrical co nductivity of SnS_(2) but also limits the huge volumetric change to avoid the pulverization and detachment of SnS_(2).Density functional theo ry calculations show that CNT/SnS_(2)@C has high Li^(+)adsorption and lithium storage capacity achieving high reaction kinetics.Consequently,cells with the CNT/SnS_(2)@C anode exhibit a high lithium storage capacity of 837mAh/g after 100 cycles at 0.1 A/g and retaining a capacity of 529.8 mAh/g under 1.0 A/g after 1000 cycles.This study provides a fundamental understanding of the electrochemical processes and beneficial guidance to design high-performance SnS_(2)-based anodes for LIBs.

Carbon enhanced nucleophilicity of Na_(3)V_(2)(PO_(4))_(3):A general approach for dendrite-free zinc metal anodes

Zincophilic property and high electrical conductivity are both very important parameters to design novel Zn anode for aqueous Zn-ion batteries(AZIBs).However,single material is difficult to exhibit zincophilic property and high electrical conductivity at the same time.Herein,originating from theoretical calculation,a zincophilic particle regulation strategy is proposed to address these limitations and carbon coated Na_(3)V_(2)(PO_(4))_(3)is taken as an example to be a protective layer on zinc metal(NVPC@Zn).Na_(3)V_(2)(PO_(4))_(3)(NVP)is a common cathode material for Zn-ion batteries,which is zincophilic.Carbon materials not only offer an electron pathway to help Zn deposition onto NVPC surface,but also enhance the zinc nucleophilicity of Na_(3)V_(2)(PO_(4))_(3).Hence,this hybrid coating layer can tune zinc deposition and resist side reactions such as hydrogen generation and Zn metal corrosion.Experimentally,a symmetrical battery with NVPC@Zn electrode displays highly reversible plating/stripping behavior with a long cycle lifespan over 1800 h at2 mA cm^(-2),much better than carbon and Na_(3)V_(2)(PO_(4))_(3)solely modified Zn electrodes.When the Na_(3)V_(2)(PO_(4))_(3)is replaced with zincophobic Al2O3or zincophilic V2O3,the stability of the modified zinc anodes is also prolonged.This strategy expands the option of zincophilic materials and provides a general and effective way to stabilize the Zn electrode.

A review of hard carbon anodes for rechargeable sodium-ion batteries

Hard carbons(HCs)are recognized as potential anode materials for sodium-ion batteries(SIBs)because of their low cost,environmental friendliness,and the abundance of their precursors.The presence of graphitic domains,numerous pores,and disordered carbon layers in HCs plays a significant role in determining their sodium storage ability,but these structural features depend on the precursor used.The influence of functional groups,including heteroatoms and oxygen-containing groups,and the microstructure of the precursor on the physical and electrochemical properties of the HC produced are evaluated,and the effects of carbonization conditions(carbonization temperature,heating rate and atmosphere)are also discussed.

A review of the carbon coating of the silicon anode in highperformance lithium-ion batteries

In the development of rechargeable lithium ion batteries(LIBs),silicon anodes have attracted much attention because of their extremely high theoretical capacity,relatively low Li-insertion voltage and the availability of silicon resources.However,their large volume expansion and fragile solid electrolyte interface(SEI)film hinder their commercial application.To solve these problems,Si has been combined with various carbon materials to increase their structural stability and improve their interface properties.The use of different carbon materials,such as amorphous carbon and graphite,as three-dimensional(3D)protective anode coatings that help buffer mechanical strain and isolate the electrolyte is detailed,and novel methods for applying the coatings are outlined.However,carbon materials used as a protective layer still have some disadvantages,necessitating their modification.Recent developments have focused on modifying the protective carbon shells,and substitutes for the carbon have been suggested.

Synthesis of pitch-derived carbon anodes for high-performance potassium-ion batteries

Potassium-ion batteries(PIBs)hold promise for large-scale energy storage,necessitating the development of high-performance anode materials.Carbons with the advantage of structural versatility,are recognized as the most promising anode materials for their commercialization,however the relationship between the carbon anode structure and its electrochemical performance remains unclear.A series of pitch-based soft carbons with different structures were fabricated using carbonization temperatures in the range 600–1400℃,and their changes in carbon configuration and K-storage performance as a function of carbonization temperature were investigated.Correlations between the carbon crystal size and the low-potential plateau region capacity and between the degree of structural disorder of the carbons with their sloping region capacity were revealed.Among all samples,that obtained by carbonization at 700℃had a relatively high degree of disorder and a large interlayer spacing,and had a high reversible capacity of 329.4 mAh g^(-1) with a high initial coulombic efficiency of 72.81%,and maintained a high capacity of 144.2 mAh g^(-1) at the current rate of 5 C.These findings improve our fundamental understanding of the K-storage process in carbon anodes,and thus facilitate the advance of PIBs.

Calcium titanate corrosion inhibitor enabling carbon as inert anode for oxygen evolution in molten chlorides

The corrosion inhibition efficacy of titanate(CaTiO_(3))for carbon anodes in molten salts was investigated through various analytical techniques,including linear sweep voltammetry,X-ray diffraction,scanning electron microscopy,and energy dispersion spectroscopy.The results demonstrate that the addition of CaTiO_(3)corrosion inhibitor efficiently passivates the carbon anode and leads to the formation of a dense CaTiO_(3)layer during the electrolysis process in molten CaCl_(2)-CaO.Subsequently,the passivated carbon anode effectively undergoes the oxygen evolution reaction,with an optimal current density for passivation identified at 400 m A/cm^(2).Comprehensive investigations,including CaTiO_(3)solubility tests in molten CaCl_(2)-CaO and numerical modeling of the stability of complex ionic structures,provide compelling evidence supporting“complexation-precipitation”passivation mechanism.This mechanism involves the initial formation of a complex containing TiO_(2)·nCaO by CaTiO_(3)and CaO,which subsequently decomposes to yield CaTiO_(3),firmly coating the surface of the carbon anode.In practical applications,the integration of CaTiO_(3)corrosion inhibitor with the carbon anode leads to the successful preparation of the FeCoNiCrMn high-entropy alloy without carbon contamination in the molten CaCl_(2)-CaO.

CoS Nanosheets Coated with Dopamine-Derived Carbon Standing on Carbon Fiber Cloth as Binder-Free Anode for Li-ion Batteries

Cobalt sulphides attract much attention as anode materials for Li-ion batteries(LIBs).However,its poor conductivity,low initial column efficiency and large volume changes during cycling have hindered its further development.Herein,novel interlaced CoS nanosheets were firstly prepared on Carbon Fiber Cloth(CFC)by two hydrothermal reactions followed with carbon coating via carbonizing dopamine(CoS NS@C/CFC).As a freestanding anode,the nanosheet structure of CoS not only accommodates the volume variation,but also provides a large interface area to proceed the charge transfer reaction.In addition,CFC works as both a three-dimensional skeleton and an active substance which can further improve the areal capacity of the resulting electrode.Furthermore,the coated carbon combined with the CFC work as a 3D conductive network to facilitate the electron conduction.The obtained CoS NS@C/CFC,and the contrast sample prepared with the same procedure but without carbon coating(CoS NS/CFC),are characterized with XRD,SEM,TEM,XPS and electrochemical measurements.The results show that the CoS NS@C/CFC possesses much improved electrochemical performance due to the synergistic effect of nanosheet CoS,the coated carbon and the CFC substrate,exhibiting high initial columbic efficiency(~87%),high areal capacity(2.5 at 0.15 mA cm−2),excellent rate performance(1.6 at 2.73 mA cm−2)and improved cycle stability(87.5%capacity retention after 300 cycles).This work may provide a new route to explore freestanding anodes with high areal specific capacity for LIBs.

Construction of Phosphorus-Functionalized Multichannel Carbon Interlayers for Dendrite-Free Metallic Zn Anodes

Zn metal anodes are usually subject to grave dendrite growth during platting/stripping,which dramatically curtails the lifespan of aqueous Zn-ion batteries and capacitors.To address above problems,in our work,a novel phosphorus-functionalized multichannel carbon interlayer was designed and covered on Zn anodes.The results demonstrated that the multichannel structure combined with the three-dimensional meshy skeleton can provide more sufficient space for Zn deposition,thereby effectively inhibiting the growth of zinc dendrites.Meanwhile,theoretical calculations also confirmed that the P-C and P=O functional groups from phosphorus-functionalized multichannel carbon interlayer have the decisive influence in reducing the zinc nucleation potential and depositing uniformly zinc.Concretely,the symmetrical battery assembled with phosphorus-functionalized multichannel carbon interlayer-covered Zn anodes possessed a long lifetime of 3300 h at 2 mA cm^(-2)with 1 mAh cm^(-2).Furthermore,the full cell with activated carbon cathodes exhibited a high specific capacity of 80.5 mAh g^(-1)and outstanding cycling stability without capacity decay after 15000 cycles at a high current density of 5 A g^(-1).The superior electrochemical performance exceeded that of most reported papers.Consequently,our synthesized zincophilic interlayer with the unique structure has superior prospects for application in stabilizing zinc anodes and prolonging the lifespan of batteries.

Defect-rich N/O-co-doped porous carbon frameworks as anodes for superior potassium and sodium-ion batteries

Carbon with its high electrical conductivity,excellent chemical stability,and structure ability is the most promising an-ode material for sodium and potassium ion batteries.We developed a defect-rich porous carbon framework(DRPCF)built with N/O-co-doped mesoporous nanosheets and containing many defects using porous g-C_(3)N_(4)(PCN)and dopamine(DA)as raw materials.We prepared samples with PCN/DA mass ratios of 1/1,2/1 and 3/1 and found that the one with a mass ratio of 2/1 and a carbonization temperature of 700℃ in an Ar atmosphere(DRPCF-2/1-700),had a large specific surface area with an enormous pore volume and a large number of N/O heteroatom active defect sites.Because of this,it had the best pseudocapacitive sodium and potassium ion stor-age performance.A half battery of Na//DRPCF-2/1-700 maintained a capacity of 328.2 mAh g^(-1) after being cycled at 1 A g^(-1) for 900 cycles,and a half battery of K//DRPC-2/1-700 maintained a capacity of 321.5 mAh g^(-1) after being cycled at 1 A g^(-1) for 1200 cycles.The rate capability and cycling stability achieved by DRPCF-2/1-700 outperforms most reported carbon materials.Finally,ex-situ Raman spectroscopy analysis result confirms that the filling and removing of K^(+)and Na^(+)from the electrochemically active defects are responsible for the high capacity,superior rate and cycling performance of the DRPCF-2/1-700 sample.

Hard-carbon hybrid Li-ion/metal anode enabled by preferred mesoporous uniform lithium growth mechanism

To achieve high energy density in lithium batteries,the construction of lithium-ion/metal hybrid anodes is a promising strategy.In particular,because of the anisotropy of graphite,hybrid anode formed by graphite/Li metal has low transport kinetics and is easy to causes the growth of lithium dendrites and accumulation of dead Li,which seriously affects the cycle life of batteries and even causes safety problems.Here,by comparing graphite with two types of hard carbon,it was found that hybrid anode formed by hard carbon and lithium metal,possessing more disordered mesoporous structure and lithophilic groups,presents better performance.Results indicate that the mesoporous structure provides abundant active site and storage space for dead lithium.With the synergistic effect of this structure and lithophilic functional groups(–COOH),the reversibility of hard carbon/lithium metal hybrid anode is maintained,promoting uniform deposition of lithium metal and alleviating formation of lithium dendrites.The hybrid anode maintains a 99.5%Coulombic efficiency(CE)after 260 cycles at a specific capacity of 500 m Ah/g.This work provides new insights into the hybrid anodes formed by carbon-based materials and lithium metal with high specific energy and fast charging ability.

Regulating the coordination microenvironment of atomic bismuth sites in nitrogen-rich carbon nanosheets as anode for superior potassium-ion batteries

Carbon-based materials are recognized as anodes fulling of promise for potassium ion batteries(PIBs)due to advantages of affordable cost and high conductivity.However,they still face challenges including structural unstability and slow kinetics.It is difficult to achieve efficient potassium storage with unmodified carbonaceous anode.Herein,atomic bismuth(Bi)sites with different atom coordinations anchored on carbon nanosheets(CNSs)have been synthesized through a template method.The properties of prepared multi-doping carbon anodes Bi-N_(3)S_(1)/CNSs,Bi-N_(3)P_(1)/CNSs and Bi-N_(4)/CNSs were probed in PIBs.The configuration Bi-N_(3)S_(1) with stronger charge asymmetry exhibits superior potassium storage performance compared to Bi-N_(3)P_(1) and Bi-N_(4) configurations.The Bi-N_(3)S_(1)/CNSs display a rate capacity of 129.2 mAh g^(-1)even at 10 A g^(-1)and an impressive cyclability characterized by over 5000 cycles at 5 A g^(-1),on account of its optimal coordination environment with more active Bi centers and K^(+)adsorption sites.Notably,assembled potassium-ion full cell Mg-KVO//Bi-N_(3)S_(1)/CNSs also shows an outstanding cycling stability,enduring 3000 cycles at 2 A g^(-1).Therefore,it can be demonstrated that regulating the electronic structure of metallic centre M-N_(4) via changing the type of ligating atom is a feasible strategy for modifying carbon anodes,on the base of co-doping metal and non-metal.

Production of carbon anodes by high-temperature mould pressing

Laboratory-scale carbon anodes were produced by a new method of high temperature mould pressing, and their physico-chemical properties were studied. The influence of mould pressing conditions and coal pitch addition on the bulk density, crushing strength, and oxidation resistance was analyzed. The mierostructure of carbon anodes was investigated by scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, and the mechanism of producing carbon anodes by high-temperature mould pressing was analyzed. The results show that when the anodes are produced by high-temperature mould pressing, coal pitch can expand into the coke particles and fill the pores inside the particles, which is beneficial for improving the quality of prebaked anodes. The bulk density of carbon anodes is 1.64-1.66 g/cm3, which is 0.08-0.12 g/cm3 higher than that of industrial anodes, and the oxidation resistance of carbon anodes is also significantly improved.

Calculation model of edge carbon atoms in graphite particles for anode of lithium-ion batteries

Based on the hexagonal crystallite model of graphite,the electrochemical characteristics of carbon atoms on the edge and basal plane were proposed by analyzing graphite crystal structure and bonds of carbon atoms in different sites.A spherical close-packed model for graphite particle was developed.The fractions of surface carbon atoms（SCA） and edge carbon atoms（ECA） were derived in the expression of crystallographic parameters and particle size,and the effects of ECA on the initial irreversible capacity and the mechanisms of action were analyzed and verified.The results show that the atoms on the edge are more active for electrochemical reactions,such as electrolyte decomposition and tendency to form stable bond with other atoms and groups.For the practical graphite particle,corresponding modifying factors were introduced to revise the difference in calculating results.The revised expression is suitable for the calculation of the fractions of SCA and ECA for carbon materials such as graphite,disordered carbon and modified graphite.

Research progress on silicon/carbon composite anode materials for lithium-ion battery

Silicon （Si） has been considered as one of the most promising anode material for tHe next generation lithium-ion batteries （LIBs） with high energy densities, due to its high theoretical capacity, abundant availability and environmental friendliness. However. silicon materials with low intrinsic electric and ionic conductivity suffer from huge volume variation during lithiation/delithiation processes leading to the pulverization of Si and subsequently resulting in severe capacity fading of the electrodes. Coupling of Si with carbon （C） realizes a favorable combination of the two materials properties, such as high lithiation capacity of Si and excellent mechanical and conductive properties of C. making silicon/carbon composite （Si/C） ideal candidates for LIBs anodes. In this review, recent progresses of Si/C materials utilized in LIBs are summarized in terms of structural design principles, material synthesis methods, morphological characteristics and electrochemical performances by highlighting the material structures. The mechanisms behind the performance enhancement are also discussed. Moreover, other factors that affect the performance of Si/C anodes, such as prelithiation, electrolyte additives, and binders, are also discussed. We aim to present a full scope of the Si/C-based anodes, and help understand and design future structures of Si/C anodes in LIBs,

Hard carbon derived from cellulose as anode for sodium ion batteries:Dependence of electrochemical properties on structure

Cellulose, the most abundant organic polymer on Earth, is a sustainable source of carbon to use as a negative electrode for sodium ion batteries. Here, hard carbons(HC) prepared by cellulose pyrolysis were investigated with varying pyrolysis temperature from 700 °C to 1600 °C. Characterisation methods such as Small Angle X-ray Scattering(SAXS) measurements and N2adsorption were performed to analyse porosity differences between the samples. The graphene sheet arrangements were observed by transmission electron microscopy(TEM): an ordering of the graphene sheets is observed at temperatures above 1150 °C and small crystalline domains appear over 1400 °C. As the graphene sheets start to align, the BET surface area decreases and the micropore size increases. To correlate hard carbon structures and electrochemical performances, different tests in Na//HC cells with 1 M NaPF6ethylene carbonate/dimethyl carbonate(EC/DMC) were performed. Samples pyrolysed from 1300 °C to 1600 °C showed a 300 m Ah/g reversible capacity at C/10 rate(where C = 372 mA/g) with an excellent stability in cycling and a very good initial Coulombic efficiency of up to 84%. Furthermore, hard carbons showed an excellent rate capability where sodium extraction rate varies from C/10 to 5C. At 5C more than 80% of reversible capacity remains stable for hard carbons synthesized from 1000 °C to 1600 °C.

From Jackfruit Rags to Hierarchical Porous N-Doped Carbon: A High-Performance Anode Material for Sodium-Ion Batteries

Renewable biomass-derived carbon materials have attracted increasing research attention as promising electrode materials for electrochemical energy storage devices, such as sodium-ion batteries (SIBs), due to their outstanding electrical conductivity, hierarchical porous structure, intrinsic heteroatom doping, and environmental friendliness. Here, we investigate the potential of hierarchical N-doped porous carbon (NPC) derived from jackfruit rags through a facile pyrolysis as an anode material for SIBs. The cycling performance of NPC at 1 A/g for 2000 cycles featured a stable reversible capacity of 122.3 mA h/g with an outstanding capacity retention of 99.1%. These excellent electrochemical properties can be attributed to the unique structure of NPC;it features hierarchical porosity with abundant carbon edge defects and large speci c surface areas. These results illuminate the potential application of jackfruit rags-derived porous carbon in SIBs.

A green route to synthesize low-cost and high-performance hard carbon as promising sodium-ion battery anodes from sorghum stalk waste

Sodium-ion batteries(SIBs) have been considered to be potential candidates for next-generation low-cost energy storage systems due to the low-cost and abundance of Na resources. However, it is a big challenge to find suitable anode materials with low-cost and good performance for the application of SIBs. Hard carbon could be a promising anode material due to high capacity and expectable low-cost if originating from biomass. Herein, we report a hard carbon material derived from abundant and abandoned biomass of sorghum stalk through a simple carbonization method. The effects of carbonization temperature on microstructure and electrochemical performance are investigated. The hard carbon carbonized at 1300 ℃ delivers the best rate capability(172 mAh g^(-1) at 200 mA g^(-1)) and good cycling performance(245 mAh g^(-1) after 50 cycles at 20 mA g^(-1),96% capacity retention). This contribution provides a green route for transforming sorghum stalk waste into "treasure"of promising low-cost anode material for SIBs.

Electro-Oxidation of Concentrated Ce(Ⅲ) at Carbon Felt Anode in Nitric Acid Media

Electro-oxidation of Ce （ Ⅲ ） to Ce （ Ⅳ ） in parallel plate flow type electrolyzer divided with cation exchange membrane was carried out in nitric acid media at carbon felt anode under galvanostatic conditions. Carbon felt was used as an anode for its high specific surface area and high oxygen evolution overpotential. Pt coated Ti plates were used as cathode and anode current feeder. The oxidation of 1 mol· L^-1 Ce（ Ⅲ ） solution in 2 mol· L^- 1 HNO3 was proceeding with a high current efficiency （92%） until about 80% of Ce（ Ⅲ ） was oxidized. Then, oxygen evolution, accompanied by terminal voltage jump, took place, lowering current efficiency. Ce（ Ⅲ ） was oxidized up to 90% with current efficiency of 62%. In this mode, strong carbon felt anode oxidation was observed. The wear out of carbon felt was 46% in six consequent runs （6 h of operation）. After each run, carbon felt surface had to be renewed with slightly alkaline solution to remove carbon oxidation products and ensure regular operational conditions. When anode surface was blocked, oxygen evolution took place from the beginning of electrolysis due to higher actual current density. The wear out of carbon felt anode could be minimized by means of oxygen evolution prevention. In the case when electrolysis had been stopped before oxygen evolution started （at Ce（ Ⅳ ） conversion of about 80% ）, the wear out of anode was less than 2% during 6 consequent runs （4 h of operation）.

Melamine modified carbon felts anode with enhanced electrogenesis capacity toward microbial fuel cells

Surface electropositivity and low internal resistance are important factors to improve the anode performance in microbial fuel cells (MFCs). Nitrogen doping is an effective way for the modification of traditional carbon materials. In this work, heat treatment and melamine were used to modify carbon felts to enhance electrogenesis capacity of MFCs. The modified carbon felts were characterized using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscope (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and malvern zeta potentiometer. Results show that the maximum power densities under heat treatment increase from 276.1 to 423.4 mW/m(2) (700 degrees C) and 461.5 mW/m(2) (1200 degrees C) and further increase to 472.5 mW/m(2) (700 degrees C) and 515.4 mW/m(2) (1200 degrees C) with the co-carbonization modification of melamine. The heat treatment reduces the material resistivity, improves the zeta potential which is beneficial to microbial adsorption and electron transfer. The addition of melamine leads to the higher content of surface pyridinic and quaternary nitrogen and higher zeta potential. It is related to higher MFCs performance. Generally, the melamine modification at high temperature increases the feasibility of carbon felt as MFCs's anode materials. (C) 2016 Science Press and Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. and Science Press. All rights reserved.