Sustainable core-shell structures derived from lignin for Na ion batteries

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Sustainable Energy

Background:

• Lignin, a natural aromatic polymer, is a sustainable precursor for hard carbon.
• Lignin-derived hard carbon exhibits potential as an anode material for sodium-ion batteries.
• Controlling carbon morphology is crucial for optimizing sodium-ion storage mechanisms.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the influence of carbon morphology on sodium-ion storage mechanisms using lignin-derived nanofibers.
• To tailor intricate core/shell nanostructures with controlled porosity for enhanced sodium diffusion and storage.
• To develop sustainable materials for sodium-ion energy storage applications.

Main Methods:

• Utilized coaxial electrospinning to produce lignin-derived nanofibers.
• Employed stabilization and carbonization processes.
• Assessed nanostructure morphology using scanning electron microscopy.

Main Results:

• Successfully tailored core/shell nanostructures with varying porosity.
• Optimized core-shell structure achieved a specific capacity of 184.7 mAh g⁻¹.
• Demonstrated high coulombic efficiency of 99.7% for the optimized structure.

Conclusions:

• Lignin-derived hard carbon nanofibers are effective for sodium-ion battery anodes.
• Tailored core/shell nanostructures enhance sodium-ion diffusion and storage.
• This green approach offers a sustainable strategy for advanced energy storage materials.