Sustainable and scalable fabrication of high-performance hard carbon anode for Na-ion battery

• Published in: Journal of power sources Vol. 557; p. 232534
• Main Authors: Chen, Yang, Li, Feng, Guo, Zhenyu, Song, Ziqing, Lin, Yueying, Lin, Wei, Zheng, Lituo, Huang, Zhigao, Hong, Zhensheng, Titirici, Maria-Magdalena
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 15.02.2023
• Subjects: Anode; Bio-fermentation; Hard carbon; Na-ion batteries; Scalable fabrication; Bio-fermentation; Hard carbon; Scalable fabrication; Anode; Na-ion batteries
• ISSN: 0378-7753; 1873-2755
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jpowsour.2022.232534

Sustainable and green manufacturing of hard carbon (HC) material in a low-cost way is the key issue in promoting its industrial applications in Na-ion batteries (SIB). Nowadays, most synthesis ways to prepare HC need the help of chemical reagents to improve its Na-ion storage performance. Herein, we firstly developed a completely green biological fermentation technology to prepare HCs on a large scale using cheap and renewable carbon sources of various biomass starch. Pre-treatment by bio-fermentation can effectively modify the carbon precursor for facile pyrolysis to fabricate starch-based HCs, and make its internal microstructure with larger interlayer spacing, more disordered structure and abundant closed micropores. Finally, a case of cornstarch-based hard carbon exhibits a high reversible capacity of 335 mA h g−1 at a current density of 30 mA h g−1 and high rate performance with a reversible capacity of 140.6 mA h g−1 even at a high current of 5 A g−1 as well as long cycling stability. In-situ Raman spectra, ex-situ SAXS and ex-situ XPS tests during discharge and charge process reveal the pore filling mechanism of quasi-metallic Na in hard carbon anode. Such a “bread-making”strategy is a facile and scalable route to fabricate various starch-based hard carbons with improved performance, demonstrating a very practically promising application for industrial manufacture. •A green biological fermentation technology to prepare HCs is firstly developed.•Renewable carbon sources of various biomass starch derived HCs are achieved.•Bio-fermentation effectively improve interlayer spacing with abundant closed micropores.•HC with a reversible capacity of 335 mA h g−1 and long cycling stability is demonstrated.•Such a “bread-making” strategy is a scalable route to fabricate hard carbons at a kilogram.