Lignin-derived hard carbon anode with a robust solid electrolyte interphase for boosted sodium storage performance

Hard carbon is regarded as a promising anode candidate for sodium-ion batteries due to its low cost,relatively low working voltage,and satisfactory specific capacity.However,it still remains a challenge to obtain a high-performance hard carbon anode from cost-effective carbon sources.In addition,the solid electrolyte interphase(SEI)is subjected to continuous rupture during battery cycling,leading to fast capacity decay.Herein,a lignin-based hard carbon with robust SEI is developed to address these issues,effectively killing two birds with one stone.An innovative gas-phase removal-assisted aqueous washing strategy is developed to remove excessive sodium in the precursor to upcycle industrial lignin into high-value hard carbon,which demonstrated an ultrahigh sodium storage capacity of 359 mAh g^(-1).It is found that the residual sodium components from lignin on hard carbon act as active sites that controllably regulate the composition and morphology of SEI and guide homogeneous SEI growth by a near-shore aggregation mechanism to form thin,dense,and organic-rich SEI.Benefiting from these merits,the as-developed SEI shows fast Na+transfer at the interphases and enhanced structural stability,thus preventing SEI rupture and reformation,and ultimately leading to a comprehensive improvement in sodium storage performance.

Free radicals trigger the closure of open pores in lignin-derived hard carbons toward improved sodium-storage capacity

The chemical activation of various precursors is effective for creating additional closed pores in hard carbons for sodium storage.However,the formation mechanism of closed pores under the influence of pore-forming agents is not well understood.Herein,an effective chemical activation followed by a high-temperature self-healing strategy is employed to generate interconnected closed pores in lignin-derived hard carbon(HCs).By systematic experimental design combined with electron paramagnetic res-onance spectroscopy,it can be found that the content of free radicals in the carbon matrix influences the closure of open pores at high temperatures.Excessively high activation temperature(>700 C)leads to a low free radical concentration,making it difficult to achieve self-healing of open pores at high tempera-tures.By activation at 700°C,a balance between pore making and self-healing is achieved in the final hard carbon.A large number of free radicals triggers rapid growth and aggregation of carbon microcrys-tals,blocking pre-formed open micropores and creating additional interconnected closed pores in as-obtained hard carbons.As a result,the optimized carbon anode(LK-700-1300)delivers a high reversible capacity of 330.8 mA h g^(-1) at 0.03 A g^(-1),which is an increase of 86 mA h g^(-1) compared to the pristine lignin-derived carbon anode(L-700-1300),and exhibits a good rate performance(202.1 mA h g^(-1) at 1 A g^(-1)).This work provides a universal and effective guidance for tuning closed pores of hard carbons from otherprecursors.

Hybrid hard carbon framework derived from polystyrene bearing distinct molecular crosslinking for enhanced sodium storage

Exploiting high-performance yet low-cost hard carbon anodes is crucial to advancing the state-of-the-art sodium-ion batteries.However,the achievement of superior initial Coulombic efficiency(ICE)and high Na-storage capacity via low-temperature carbonization remains challenging due to the presence of tremendous defects with few closed pores.Here,a facile hybrid carbon framework design is proposed from the polystyrene precursor bearing distinct molecular bridges at a low pyrolysis temperature of 800℃ via in situ fusion and embedding strategy.This is realized by integrating triazine-and carbonylcrosslinked polystyrene nanospheres during carbonization.The triazine crosslinking allows in situ fusion of spheres into layered carbon with low defects and abundant closed pores,which serves as a matrix for embedding the well-retained carbon spheres with nanopores/defects derived from carbonyl crosslinking.Therefore,the hybrid hard carbon with intimate interface showcases synergistic Na ions storage behavior,showing an ICE of 70.2%,a high capacity of 279.3 mAh g^(-1),and long-term 500 cycles,superior to carbons from the respective precursor and other reported carbons fabricated under the low carbonization temperature.The present protocol opens new avenues toward low-cost hard carbon anode materials for high-performance sodiumion batteries.

The preparation and properties of N-doped carbon materials and their use for sodium storage

Defect engineering by heteroatom doping gives carbon materials some new characteristics such as a different electronic structure and a high electrochemical activity,making them suitable for high-performance applications.N-doping has been widely investigated because of its similar atom radius to carbon,high electronegativity as well as many different configurations.We summarize the preparation methods and properties of N-doped carbon materials,and discuss their possible use in sodium ion storage.The relationships between N content/configuration and crystallinity,electronic conductivity,wettability,chemical reactivity as well as sodium ion storage performance are discussed.

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.

Novel method to prepare sodium chromate from carbon ferrochrome

An oxidizing roasting process of carbon ferrochrome to prepare sodium chromate in the presence of sodium carbonate and air was investigated. The effects of reaction temperature, reaction time, mole ratio of sodium carbonate to carbon ferrochrome were studied, and thermodynamics and kinetics of the reaction were also discussed. It was observed that there was a sudden increase in reaction rate when the temperature rose to a certain value, and the sample with a smaller grain size could start the sudden increase at a lower temperature. The chromium recovery rate increased with the increase of mole ratio of sodium carbonate to carbon ferrochrome, and it reached up to 99.34% when mole ratio of sodium carbonate to carbon ferrochrome increased to 1.2:1. The chromium residue yielded from this method was only about 1/3 of the product. Moreover, the content of Fe in the residue was as high as 60.41%. Therefore, it can be easily recovered to produce sponge iron, realizing complete detoxication and zero-emission of chromium residue.

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.

Upgrading and dephosphorization of Western Australian iron ore using reduction roasting by adding sodium carbonate

The technology of direct reduction by adding sodium carbonate （Na2CO3） and magnetic separation was developed to treat Western Australian high phosphorus iron ore. The iron ore and reduced product were investigated by optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. It is found that phosphorus exists within limonite in the form of solid solution, which cannot be removed through traditional ways. During reduction roasting, Na2CO3 reacts with gangue minerals （SiO2 and A1203）, forming aluminum silicate-containing phosphorus and damaging the ore structure, which promotes the separation between iron and phosphorus during magnetic separation. Meanwhile, Na2CO3 also improves the growth of iron grains, increasing the iron grade and iron recovery. The iron concentrate, assaying 94.12wt% Fe and 0.07wt% P at the iron recovery of 96.83% and the dephosphorization rate of 74.08%, is obtained under the optimum conditions. The final product （metal iron powder） after briquetting can be used as the burden for steelmaking by an alactrie a.re furnace to rer）la,ce scrar） steel.

Kinetics of roasting potash feldspar in presence of sodium carbonate

A novel process was proposed for the utilization of potash feldspar by roasting in the presence of sodium carbonate. The effects of roasting temperature, granularity, molar ratio of sodium carbonate to potash feldspar and roasting time on the silica extraction rate were investigated. Under the optimal roasting conditions, the silica extraction rate was 98%. The optimal conditions, determined using an orthogonal experiment, were found to be roasting temperature of 875 A degrees C, potash feldspar granularity of 74-89 mu m, molar ratio of sodium carbonate to potash feldspar of 1.2:1, and roasting time of 80 min. The kinetics of potash feldspar roasting in the presence of sodium carbonate was described by the shrinking core model and the reaction rate was found to be controlled by the chemical reaction at the particle surface. According to the Arrhenius expression, the activation energy was 164.99 kJ/mol, and the process could be expressed as [1-(1-alpha)(1/3)]=2.66x10(5) exp[-164990/(RT)] t.

Kinetic Model and Simulation of Promoted Selective Non-catalytic Reduction by Sodium Carbonate

Abstract The detailed kinetic model of selective non-catalytic reduction （SNCR） of nitric oxide, including so-dium species reactions, was deyeloped on the basis of recent studies on thermal DeNOx mechanism, NOxOUTmechanism and promotion mechanism of Na2CO3. The model was validated by comparison with several experi-mental findings, thus providing an effective tool for the primary and promoted SNCR process simulation. Experimental and simulated results show part-per-million level of sodium carbonate enhances NO removal efficiency andextend the effective SNCR temperature range in comparison with use of a nitrogen agent alone. The kinetic modeling, sensitivity and rate-of-production analysis suggest that the performance improvement can be explained as ho-mogeneous sodium species reactions producing more reactive OH radicals. The net result of sodium species reac-tions is conversion of H2O and inactive HO2 radicals into reactive OH radicals, i.e. H2O＋HO2=3OH, which enhances the SNCR performance of nitrogen agents by mainly increasing the production rate of NH2 radicals. More-over, N2O and CO are eliminated diversely via the reactions Na＋N20=NaO＋N2, NaO＋CO=Na＋CO2 andNaO2＋CO =NaO＋CO2, in.the pro.moted SNCR process, especially in the NOxOUT process.

Treatment of simulated wastewater containing Reactive Red 195 by zero-valent iron/activated carbon combined with microwave discharge electrodeless lamp/sodium hypochlorite

A comparative study of treatment of simulated wastewater containing Reactive Red 195 using zero-valent iron/activated carbon （ZVI/AC）, microwave discharge electrodeless lamp/sodium hypochlorite （MDEL/NaCIO） and the combination of ZVI/AC- MDEL/NaCIO was conducted. The preliminary results showed the two steps method of ZVI/AC-MDEL/NaCIO had much higher degradation efficiency than both single steps. The final color removal percentage was nearly up to 100% and the chemical oxygen demand reduction percentage was up to approximately 82%. The effects of operational parameters, including initial pH value of simulated wastewater, ZVI/AC ratio and particle size of ZVI were also investigated. In addition, from the discussion of synergistic effect between ZVI/AC and MEDL/NaCIO, we found that in the ZVI/AC-MEDL/NaCIO process, ZVI/AC could break the azo bond firstly and then MEDLfNaCIO degraded the aromatic amine products effectively. Reversing the order would reduce the degradation efficiency.

Understanding of the sodium storage mechanism in hard carbon anodes

Hard carbon has been regarded as the most promising anode material for sodiumion batteries(SIBs)due to its low cost,high reversible capacity,and low working potential.However,the uncertain sodium storage mechanism hinders the rational design and synthesis of high-performance hard carbon anode materials for practical SIBs.During the past decades,tremendous efforts have been put to stimulate the development of hard carbon materials.In this review,we discuss the recent progress of the study on the sodium storage mechanism of hard carbon anodes,and the effective strategies to improve their sodium storage performance have been summarized.It is anticipated that hard carbon anodes with high electrochemical properties will be inspired and fabricated for large-scale energy storage applications.

Research progress on carbon materials as negative electrodes in sodium-and potassium-ion batteries

Carbon materials,including graphite,hard carbon,soft carbon,graphene,and carbon nanotubes,are widely used as high-performance negative electrodes for sodium-ion and potassium-ion batteries(SIBs and PIBs).Compared with other materials,carbon materials are abundant,low-cost,and environmentally friendly,and have excellent electrochemical properties,which make them especially suitable for negative electrode materials of SIBs and PIBs.Compared with traditional carbon materials,modifications of the morphology and size of nanomaterials represent effective strategies to improve the quality of electrode materials.Different nanostructures make different contributions toward improving the electrochemical performance of electrode materials,so the synthesis of nanomaterials is promising for controlling the morphology and size of electrode materials.This paper reviews the progress made and challenges in the use of carbon materials as negative electrode materials for SIBs and PIBs in recent years.The differences in Na+and K+storage mechanisms among different types of carbon materials are emphasized.

Insight to defects regulation on sugarcane waste-derived hard carbon anode for sodium-ion batteries

A great deal of attention has been paid on developing plant-derived hard carbon(HC)materials as anodes for sodium-ion batteries(SIBs).So far,the regulation of HC has been handicapped by the well-known ambiguity of Na^(+)storage mechanism,which fails to differentiate the Na^(+)adsorption and Na^(+)insertion,and their relationship with the size of d-interlayer spacing and structural porosity.Herein,bagassederived HC materials have been synthesized through a combination of pyrolysis treatment and microwave activation.The combined protocol has enabled to synergistically control the d-interlayer spacing and porosity.Specifically,the microwave activation has created slit pores into HC and these pores allow for an enhanced Na^(+)adsorption with an increased sloping capacity,establishing a strong correlation between the porosity and sloping capacity.Meanwhile,the pyrolysis treatment promotes the graphitization and it contributes to an intensified Na^(+)insertion with an increased plateau capacity,proving that the plateau capacity is largely contributed by the Na^(+)insertion between interlayers.Therefore,the structural regulation of bagasse-derived HC has provided a proof on positively explaining the Na^(+)storage with HC materials.The structural changes in the pore size distribution,specific surface area,d-interlayer spacing,and the electrochemical properties have been comprehensively characterized,all supporting our understanding of Na^(+)storage mechanism.As a result,the HC sample with an optimized d-interlayer spacing and porosity has delivered an improved reversible capacity of 323.6 m Ah g^(-1) at 50 m A g^(-1).This work provides an understanding of Na^(+)storage mechanism and insights on enhancing the sloping/plateau capacity by rationally regulating the graphitization and porosity of HC materials for advanced SIBs.

Effects of sodium carbonate and calcium chloride on calcite depression in cationic flotation of pyrolusite

In the cationic flotation of pyrolusite using dodecyl ammine(DDA),the depressive effect of sodium carbonate andcalcium chloride on the calcite mineral was investigated systematically through flotation experiments,FTIR analysis,contact anglemeasurements and zeta potential tests.The microflotation experiments showed that both depressant agents decrease the flotationrecovery of calcite significantly.In addition,sodium carbonate acts as activator agent for pyrolusite,and increases its floatability.Theflotation experiments and contact angle measurements indicated that the selective depression effect of sodium carbonate on thecalcite mineral is more than that of calcium chloride.As evidenced by zeta potential and FT-IR analysis,sodium carbonate decreasesthe negative charges on the surface of calcite mineral and subsequently reduces the adsorption of DDA collector through electrostaticforces.At a pH of7.5,using2000g/t DDA and1500g/t sodium carbonate,a pyrolusite concentrate containing almost40%MnOwith71.5%recovery is achieved by carrying out the ore flotation experiments on the tabling pre-concentrate.

Molecular-scale controllable conversion of biopolymers into hard carbons towards lithium and sodium ion batteries: A review

Hard carbons are widely investigated as potential anodes for lithium and sodium ion batteries owing to their internally well-tailored textures(closed pores and defects) and large microcrystalline interlayer spacing. The renewable biomass is a green and economically attractive carbon source to produce hard carbons. However, the chemical and structural complexity of biomass has plagued the understanding of evolution mechanism from organic precursors to hard carbons and the structure-property relationship.This makes it difficult to finely tune the microstructure of biomass-derived hard carbons, thus greatly restricting their high-performance applications. Most recently, the optimal utilization and controllable conversion of biomass-derived biopolymers(such as starch, cellulose and lignin) at the molecular level have become a burgeoning area of research to develop hard carbons for advanced batteries.Considering the principal source of carbonaceous materials is from biomass pyrolysis, we firstly overview the chemical structures and pyrolysis behaviors of three main biopolymers. Then, the controllable preparation of hard carbons using various physicochemical properties of biopolymers at the molecular level is systematically discussed. Furthermore, we highlight present challenges and further opportunities in this field. The Review will guide future research works on the design of sustainable hard carbons and the optimization of battery performance.

Multi-heteroatom doped porous carbon derived from insect feces for capacitance-enhanced sodium-ion storage

The large-scale application of sodium ion batteries(SIBs)is limited by economic and environmental factors.Here,we prepare multi-heteroatom self-doped hierarchical porous carbon(HHPC)with a honeycomb-like structure by one-step carbonization method using high-yield and low-cost biomass silkworm excrement as a precursor.As an anode for SIB,HHPC-1100 exhibits a capacity of 331.7 mA h g^(-1) at 20 mA g^(-1),while it also reveals remarkable rate performance and stable long cycle capability due to its abundant pore structure and proper amount of hetero atom doping.Moreover,the synergistic effect of O,N,S,P co-doping in carbon materials on sodium ion adsorption is verified by the first-principles study,which provide a theoretical basis for the prominent electrochemical performance of the material.

Integrated carbon nanospheres arrays as anode materials for boosted sodium ion storage

Developing cost-effective advanced carbon anode is critical for innovation of sodium ion batteries. Herein, we develop a powerful combined method for rational synthesis of free-standing binder-free carbon nanospheres arrays via chemical bath plus hydrothermal process. Impressively,carbon spheres with diameters of 150-250 nm are randomly interconnected with each other forming highly porous arrays. Positive advantages including large porosity, high surface and strong mechanical stability are combined in the carbon nanospheres arrays. The obtained carbon nanospheres arrays are tested as anode material for sodium ion batteries(SIBs) and deliver a high reversible capacity of 102 mAh g^(-1) and keep a capacity retention of 95% after 100 cycles at a current density of 0.25 A g^(-1) and good rate performance(65 mAh g^(-1) at a high current density of 2 A g^(-1)). The good electrochemical performance is attributed to the stable porous nanosphere structure with fast ion/electron transfer characteristics.

Carbothermic reduction of vanadium titanomagnetite with the assistance of sodium carbonate

The carbothermic reduction of vanadium titanomagnetite concentrate(VTC)with the assistance of Na_(2)CO_(3)was conducted in an argon atmosphere between 1073 and 1473 K.X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy were used to investigate the phase transformations during the reaction.By investigating the reaction between VTC and Na_(2)CO_(3),it was concluded that molten Na_(2)CO_(3)broke the structure of titanomagnetite by combining with the acidic oxides(Fe_(2)O_(3),TiO_(2),Al_(2)O_(3),and SiO_(2))to form a Na-rich melt and release FeO and MgO.Therefore,Na_(2)CO_(3)accelerated the reduction rate.In addition,adding Na_(2)CO_(3)also benefited the agglomeration of iron particles and the slag–metal separation by decreasing the viscosity of the slag.Thus,Na_(2)CO_(3)assisted carbothermic reduction is a promising method for treating VTC at low temperatures.

Solution chemistry of carbonate minerals and its effects on the flotation of hematite with sodium oleate

The effects of carbonate minerals（dolomite and siderite） on the flotation of hematite using sodium oleate as a collector were investigated through flotation tests, supplemented by dissolution measurements, solution chemistry calculations, zeta-potential measurements, Fourier transform infrared（FTIR） spectroscopic studies, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy（XPS） analyses. The results of flotation tests show that the presence of siderite or dolomite reduced the recovery of hematite and that the inhibiting effects of dolomite were stronger. Dissolution measurements, solution chemistry calculations, and flotation tests confirmed that both the cations（Ca^（2＋） and Mg^（2＋）） and CO_3^（2＋）ions dissolved from dolomite depressed hematite flotation, whereas only the 23CO-ions dissolved from siderite were responsible for hematite depression. The zeta-potential, FTIR spectroscopic, and XPS analyses indicated that Ca^（2＋）, Mg^（2＋）, and CO_3^（2-）（HCO_3^-） could adsorb onto the hematite surface, thereby hindering the adsorption of sodium oleate, which was the main reason for the inhibiting effects of carbonate minerals on hematite flotation.