Biotene: Earth-Abundant 2D Material as Sustainable Anode for Li/Na-Ion Battery

Natural ores are abundant, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly. Ultrathin (2D) layers of a naturally abundant van der Waals mineral, Biotite, have been prepared in bulk via exfoliation. We report here that this 2D Biotene material has shown extraordinary Li-Na-ion battery anode properties with ultralong cycling stability. Biotene shows 302 and 141 mAh g^-1 first cycle-specific charge capacity for Li- and Na-ion battery applications with ∼90% initial Coulombic efficiency. The electrode exhibits significantly extended cycling stability with ∼75% capacity retention after 4000 cycles even at higher current densities (500-2000 mA g^-1). Further, density functional theory studies show the possible Li intercalation mechanism between the 2D Biotene layers. Our work brings new directions toward designing the next generation of metal-ion battery anodes.