Graphitized Needle Cokes and Natural Graphites for Lithium Intercalation

The microstructure of carbonaceous materials strongly affect their ability to electrochemically intercalate lithium [1]. The fractional intercalation capacity (x in LixC6) for various types of amorphous and graphitic carbons can vary over a range between 0 to 1. Capacities exceeding that of graphite (372 mAh/g or LiC6) can be obtained from chemically doped (i.e., with phosphorous [2]) materials or from carbonized organic precursors pyrolyzed at low temperatures (<900°C) [3]. Additional chemical effects apparently influence the carbon electrochemical behavior in these cases.