Converting amorphous kraft lignin to hollow carbon shell frameworks as electrode materials for lithium-ion batteries and supercapacitors

Extensive use of fossil fuels can lead to energy depletion and serious environmental pollution. Therefore, it is necessary to solve these problems by developing clean energy. Graphene materials own the advantages of high electrocatalytic activity, high conductivity, excellent mechanical strength, strong flexibility, large specific surface area and light weight, thus giving the potential to store electric charge, ions or hydrogen. Graphene-based nanocomposites have become new research hotspots in the field of energy storage and conversion, such as in fuel cells, lithium-ion batteries, solar cells and thermoelectric conversion. Graphene as a catalyst carrier of hydrogen fuel cells has been further modified to obtain higher and more uniform metal dispersion, hence improving the electrocatalyst activity. Moreover, it can complement the network of electroactive materials to buffer the change of electrode volume and prevent the breakage and aggregation of electrode materials, and graphene oxide is also used as a cheap and sustainable proton exchange membrane. In lithium-ion batteries, substituting heteroatoms for carbon atoms in graphene composite electrodes can produce defects on the graphitized surface which have a good reversible specific capacity and increased energy and power densities. In solar cells, the performance of the interface and junction is enhanced by using a few layers of graphene-based composites and more electron-hole pairs are collected; therefore, the conversion efficiency is increased. Graphene has a high Seebeck coefficient, and therefore, it is a potential thermoelectric material. In this paper, we review the latest progress in the synthesis, characterization, evaluation and properties of graphene-based composites and their practical applications in fuel cells, lithium-ion batteries, solar cells and thermoelectric conversion.

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The Synthesis and Electrochemical Performance of Si Composite with Hollow Carbon Microtubes by the Carbonization of Milkweed from Nature as Anode Template for Lithium Ion Batteries

Energies ◽

10.3390/en13195124 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 13 (19) ◽

pp. 5124

Author(s):

Eun Hyuk Chung ◽

Jong Pil Kim ◽

Hyun Gyu Kim ◽

Jae-Min Chung ◽

Sei-Jin Lee ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Electron Microscopy ◽

Electrical Conductivity ◽

Electrochemical Performance ◽

Pore Size ◽

Lithium Ion Batteries ◽

Polyvinylidene Fluoride ◽

Lithium Ion ◽

Size Analysis ◽

Pore Size Analysis ◽

Hollow Carbon

It has been reported that improving electrical conductivity and maintaining stable structure during discharge/charge process are challenge for Si to be used as an anode for lithium ion batteries (LIB). To address this problem, milkweed (MW) was carbonized to prepare hollow carbon microtubes (HCMT) derived from biomass as an anode template for LIB. In order to improve electrical conductivity, various materials such as chitosan (CTS), agarose, and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) are used as carbon source (C1, C2, and C3) by carbonization. Carbon coated HCMT@Si composits, HCMT@Si@C1, HCMT@Si@C1@C2, and HCMT@Si@C1@C3, have been successfully synthesized. Changes in structure and crystallinity of HCMT@Si composites were characterized by using X-ray diffraction (XRD). Specific surface area for samples was calculated by using BET (Brunauer–Emmett–Teller). Also, pore size and particle size were obtained by particle and pore size analysis system. The surface morphology was evaluated using high resolution scanning electron microscopy (HR-SEM), Field Emission transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The thermal properties of HCMT@Si composites were analyzed by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Our research was performed to study the synthesis and electrochemical performance of Si composite with HCMT by the carbonization of natural micro hollow milkweed to form an inner space. After carbonization at 900 °C for 2 h in N2 flow, inner diameter of HCMT obtained was about 10 μm. The electrochemical tests indicate that HCMT@Si@C1@C3 exhibits discharge capacity of 932.18 mAh/g at 0.5 A/g after 100 cycles.

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Recent Developments on and Prospects for Electrode Materials with Hierarchical Structures for Lithium-Ion Batteries

Advanced Energy Materials ◽

10.1002/aenm.201701415 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 8 (6) ◽

pp. 1701415 ◽

Cited By ~ 219

Author(s):

Limin Zhou ◽

Kai Zhang ◽

Zhe Hu ◽

Zhanliang Tao ◽

Liqiang Mai ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Lithium Ion Batteries ◽

Electrode Materials ◽

Hierarchical Structures ◽

Lithium Ion ◽

Recent Developments

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Aging Mechanisms of Electrode Materials in Lithium-Ion Batteries for Electric Vehicles

Journal of Chemistry ◽

10.1155/2015/104673 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 2015 ◽

pp. 1-11 ◽

Cited By ~ 31

Author(s):

Cheng Lin ◽

Aihua Tang ◽

Hao Mu ◽

Wenwei Wang ◽

Chun Wang

Keyword(s):

Lithium Ion Batteries ◽

Electrode Materials ◽

Electrochemical Behaviour ◽

Lithium Ion ◽

Storage Conditions ◽

Carbon Anode ◽

Side Reactions ◽

Metallic Oxide ◽

Lithium Ions ◽

Aging Mechanisms

Electrode material aging leads to a decrease in capacity and/or a rise in resistance of the whole cell and thus can dramatically affect the performance of lithium-ion batteries. Furthermore, the aging phenomena are extremely complicated to describe due to the coupling of various factors. In this review, we give an interpretation of capacity/power fading of electrode-oriented aging mechanisms under cycling and various storage conditions for metallic oxide-based cathodes and carbon-based anodes. For the cathode of lithium-ion batteries, the mechanical stress and strain resulting from the lithium ions insertion and extraction predominantly lead to structural disordering. Another important aging mechanism is the metal dissolution from the cathode and the subsequent deposition on the anode. For the anode, the main aging mechanisms are the loss of recyclable lithium ions caused by the formation and increasing growth of a solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) and the mechanical fatigue caused by the diffusion-induced stress on the carbon anode particles. Additionally, electrode aging largely depends on the electrochemical behaviour under cycling and storage conditions and results from both structural/morphological changes and side reactions aggravated by decomposition products and protic impurities in the electrolyte.

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Self-assembly synthesis of nitrogen-doped mesoporous carbons used as high-performance electrode materials in lithium-ion batteries and supercapacitors

New Journal of Chemistry ◽

10.1039/c7nj02532g ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 41 (21) ◽

pp. 12901-12909 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Chunfeng Shao ◽

Ziqiang Wang ◽

Errui Wang ◽

Shujun Qiu ◽

Hailiang Chu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Electrochemical Performance ◽

Lithium Ion Batteries ◽

Self Assembly ◽

High Performance ◽

Electrode Materials ◽

Lithium Ion ◽

Mesoporous Carbons ◽

Nitrogen Doped ◽

First Time ◽

Enhanced Electrochemical Performance

Guanine was, for the first time, used as a nitrogen source during the synthesis of nitrogen-doped porous carbons (NMCs) with enhanced electrochemical performance.

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LixCn as Anode Material for Lithium Ion Batteries

MRS Proceedings ◽

10.1557/proc-0972-aa06-04 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 972 ◽

Author(s):

Haiming Xie ◽

Haiying Yu ◽

Abraham F. Jalbout ◽

Guiling Yang ◽

Xiumei Pan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Lithium Ion Batteries ◽

Anode Material ◽

Cathode Materials ◽

Electrode Materials ◽

Lithium Ion ◽

Limiting Factors ◽

Discharge Process ◽

Metal Foil ◽

Lithium Metal ◽

Lithium Secondary Batteries

AbstractWe design a way that the anode hosts provide lithium ion in lithium ion battery operation. If the limiting factors of the cathode materials are less, there will be more alternatives for it. It was proven to be successful by two kinds of test cells based on LixCn as anode material, and β-FeOOH or Cr8O21 as cathode materials. Their theoretical capacities are much higher than those present electrode materials. Unlike the lithium secondary batteries with lithium metal foil or lithium alloy as anode, this type of lithium ion batteries with LixCn as anode prohibit dendrite formation during charging-discharge process. The idea of lithium ion sources coming from the anode can come true successfully as a result that steady protecting solution be sought for LixCn.

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Ternary NiCoP nanoparticles assembled on graphene for high-performance lithium-ion batteries and supercapacitors

RSC Advances ◽

10.1039/c7ra02910a ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 7 (42) ◽

pp. 26120-26124 ◽

Cited By ~ 34

Author(s):

Chunde Wang ◽

Yinyin Qian ◽

Jing Yang ◽

Shiqi Xing ◽

Xu Ding ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Lithium Ion Batteries ◽

High Performance ◽

Room Temperature ◽

Electrode Materials ◽

Lithium Ion ◽

Solution Phase ◽

Phase Method ◽

Self Assembled ◽

Solution Phase Method

We demonstrate that ternary NiCoP nanoparticles can be self-assembled on graphene at room temperature by a solution-phase method and our electrode materials exhibit a high performance for LIBs and supercapacitors.

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