Nitrogen-Modulated Reaction Pathways for Densified Carbon Architectures with Enhanced Volumetric Capacity

Volumetric performance is critical due to space constraints in practical applications. However, although conventional high-surface-area porous carbons show high gravimetric capacity, their low density limits volumetric energy density. Herein, a compact carbon material was constructed through nitrogen chemical engineering, achieving a high area-specific capacity (1.58 mAh m^-2), greater than that of previously research (generally <0.3 mAh m^-2). In particular, note that nitrogen species can modulate the reaction pathways of intermediates during organic sodium salt carbonization, suppressing active pore-forming agents formation while promoting inert molten salt formation, which increases the tap density of the carbon material from 0.22 g cm^-3 to 0.55 g cm^-3. Unexpectedly, the consumption amount of NMP and electrolyte of the as-obtained carbon material during the testing process was lower more than that of 30% compared with commercial YP-50F, delivering great application potential. This work offers a novel strategy for developing carbon cathode with enhanced volumetric performance.