Understanding the effects of cellulose polymorphism on hard carbon for sodium-ion batteries

The precursor structure inevitably affects the structure of the derived hard carbon (HC), and a comprehensive understanding of their relationship can help promote the research and application of high-performance HC materials. This work is the first to investigate the impact of precursor crystal structure on the derived HC. The transformation of cellulose polymorphs alters their molecular chain packing arrangements and hydrogen bond networks, ultimately affecting the microstructure and electrochemical performance of the derived HCs.