Abstract
Converting waste biomass into biochar is a means for solving both environmental pollution and energy shortage. Here we transformed Eichhornia crassipes, a harmful floating plant, into a honeycomb-shaped and heteroatoms-rich biochar by KOH activation during carbonization, and we tested this biochar as anode for lithium-ion batteries. Results show that the biochar has a high surface area of 278.56 m2·g−1, a honeycomb-like porous structure, and is rich in heteroatoms, e.g., 3.42% N, 20.82% O, and 0.83% S. Biochar anodes displayed a higher initial reversible specific capacity of 697 mAh·g−1 at 50 mA·g−1, a higher rate capability of 229.7 mAh·g−1 at 3000 mA·g−1, and a better cyclic stability than commercial graphite. The enhanced electrochemical performance could be attributed to the interconnected porous structure that promotes Li+ transfer and electrolyte infiltration, and to the presence of heteroatoms. This approach can be easily industrialized as a substitute of graphite.
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Acknowledgements
This work was supported by National Key Research and Development Program of China (2016YFC0402600), National Natural Science Foundation of China (No.41001341, 21661008), Water Conservancy Science and Technology Innovation Project of Guangdong Province (2017-21), and Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (2019-17).
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Chen, X., Li, F., Su, S. et al. Efficient honeycomb–shaped biochar anodes for lithium-ion batteries from Eichhornia crassipes biomass. Environ Chem Lett 19, 3505–3510 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10311-021-01221-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10311-021-01221-y