Three-dimensionally ordered mesoporous carbons activated by hot ammonia treatment as high-performance anode materials in lithium-ion batteries

Abstract

Three-dimensionally ordered mesoporous carbons (3DOmCs) with pore sizes in the range of 10–40 nm are prepared and utilized as anode electrode materials for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Regardless of pore size, the capacity of the 3DOmCs is substantially dictated by their surface area because Li⁺ adsorption on the surface becomes an important mechanism of Li⁺ storage along with lithium intercalation into graphene layers. Interestingly, we determine that simple NH₃ heat-treatment is a facile and effective way to simultaneously increase the surface area and improve the electrical conductivity of the 3DOmCs, which results in increased capacity of the resulting N-doped 3DOmCs compared to their parent counterparts.