Issue 3, 2025

Hard carbon from a sugar derivative for next-generation sodium-ion batteries

Abstract

Sodium-ion batteries have emerged as a promising secondary battery system due to the abundance of sodium resources. One of the boosters for accelerating the practical application of sodium-ion batteries is the innovation in anode materials. This study focuses on developing a high-performance hard carbon anode material derived from hydroxymethylfurfural, produced from carbohydrates, using a straightforward thermal condensation method. The process results in a unique pseudo-graphitic material with abundant microporosity. Electrochemical evaluations demonstrate excellent sodium storage performance by maintaining the plateau capacity even at higher current densities. This translates to a promising energy density when coupled with the cathode material. However, we also discuss the influence of electrolyte composition on the performance of the hydroxymethylfurfural-derived hard carbon, emphasizing the critical role of electrolyte optimization for the development of efficient and sustainable carbonaceous anode materials for next-generation sodium-based batteries.

Graphical abstract: Hard carbon from a sugar derivative for next-generation sodium-ion batteries

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Communication
Submitted
21 Aug 2024
Accepted
24 Oct 2024
First published
13 Nov 2024
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

Mater. Horiz., 2025,12, 886-898

Hard carbon from a sugar derivative for next-generation sodium-ion batteries

E. O. Eren, E. Senokos, Z. Song, B. Mondal, A. Perju, T. Horner, E. B. Yılmaz, E. Scoppola, P. Taberna, P. Simon, M. Antonietti and P. Giusto, Mater. Horiz., 2025, 12, 886 DOI: 10.1039/D4MH01118J

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