Sustainable conversion of biomass to rationally designed lithium-ion battery graphite

Seaweed─Modification of Si by Natural Nitrogen-Doped Porous Biochar for High-Efficiency Lithium Batteries

Due to the porous structure and high electrical conductivity of carbon materials, lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) frequently employ carbon cladding to modify silicon anodes. However, the high cost and convoluted manufacturing process have prevented widespread use of carbon-based materials. Due to the abundance of seaweed (Gelidium amansii: GAm), there is a developing interest in seaweed's additional uses. We present, for the first time in lithium-ion batteries, the modification of silicon anodes by algal biomass carbon, which was thoroughly analyzed morphologically, structurally, and electrochemically. Seaweed's biomass carbon is porous and highly linked, making it ideal for evenly enclosing silicon nanoparticles and supplying the porous carbon skeleton with sufficient nitrogen after annealing. The Si@ self-encapsulated naturally nitrogen-doped biochar prepared from seaweed composites displayed reversible capacities of 1111.61 mAh g-1 after 500 cycles at a high current of 1 A g-1 and 714.08 mAh g-1 after 1000 cycles at the same current density.

Catalytic Graphitization of Biocarbon for Lithium-Ion Anodes: A Minireview

The demand for electrochemical energy storage is increasing rapidly due to a combination of decreasing costs in renewable electricity, governmental policies promoting electrification, and a desire by the public to decrease CO2 emissions. Lithium-ion batteries are the leading form of electrochemical energy storage for electric vehicles and the electrical grid. Lithium-ion cell anodes are mostly made of graphite, which is derived from geographically constrained, non-renewable resources using energy-intensive and highly polluting processes. Thus, there is a desire to innovate technologies that utilize abundant, affordable, and renewable carbonaceous materials for the sustainable production of graphite anodes under relatively mild process conditions. This review highlights novel attempts to realize the aforementioned benefits through innovative technologies that convert biocarbon resources, including lignocellulose, into high quality graphite for use in lithium-ion anodes.

Biomass Alginate Derived Oxygen-Enriched Carbonaceous Materials with Partially Graphitic Nanolayers for High Performance Anodes in Lithium-Ion Batteries

Lithium-ion batteries with high reversible capacity, high-rate capability, and extended cycle life are vital for future consumer electronics and renewable energy storage. There is a great deal of interest in developing novel types of carbonaceous materials to boost lithium storage properties due to the inadequate properties of conventional graphite anodes. In this study, we describe a facile and low-cost approach for the synthesis of oxygen-doped hierarchically porous carbons with partially graphitic nanolayers (Alg-C) from pyrolyzed Na-alginate biopolymers without resorting to any kind of activation step. The obtained Alg-C samples were analyzed using various techniques, such as X-ray diffraction, Raman, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscope, and transmission electron microscope, to determine their structure and morphology. When serving as lithium storage anodes, the as-prepared Alg-C electrodes have outstanding electrochemical features, such as a high-rate capability (120 mAh g^-1 at 3000 mA g^-1) and extended cycling lifetimes over 5000 cycles. The post-cycle morphologies ultimately provide evidence of the distinct structural characteristics of the Alg-C electrodes. These preliminary findings suggest that alginate-derived carbonaceous materials may have intensive potential for next-generation energy storage and other related applications.