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Fabrication of Nitrogen-Containing Micro-Expanding Graphite Composites from Waste Graphite Electrodes for Enhanced
Xu Fan1, Zhuohan Lv1, Hongyan Nan1,2
1State Key Laboratory of Critical Metals Beneficiation, Metallurgy and Purification, School of Chemical Engineering, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China.
Nanomaterials (Basel, Switzerland)
|April 27, 2026
Summary
Waste graphite is transformed into nitrogen-containing micro-expanded graphite (NMG) composite materials for advanced lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). This sustainable upcycling method enhances anode performance, offering a promising solution for both waste management and energy storage.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Electrochemistry
- Sustainable Chemistry
Background:
- Waste graphite generation presents environmental concerns and resource loss.
- Developing sustainable methods for waste graphite upcycling is crucial for resource recovery and environmental protection.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a sustainable strategy for upcycling waste graphite into nitrogen-containing micro-expanded graphite (NMG) composite materials.
- To investigate the structural and electrochemical properties of NMG as an anode material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs).
Main Methods:
- Utilized chemical intercalation, microwave-assisted expansion, and in situ urea nitrogen doping on waste graphite.
- Characterized the NMG material using structural analysis and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS).
- Evaluated the electrochemical performance of NMG as a LIB anode through cycling tests and kinetic analysis.
Main Results:
- NMG exhibited a nitrogen-doped amorphous carbon layer, preserving the expanded graphite (EG) matrix's morphology and porosity.
- XPS confirmed successful nitrogen doping, enhancing lithiophilicity and introducing defect sites.
- NMG demonstrated a high initial discharge capacity (1907.5 mAh g-1) and excellent long-term cycling stability (650.4 mAh g-1 after 1000 cycles).
Conclusions:
- The NMG composite material derived from waste graphite shows significant potential as a high-performance anode for LIBs.
- The enhanced electrochemical performance is attributed to the synergistic effects of nitrogen doping, defect sites, and hierarchical pore structure.
- This study presents a viable pathway for the value-added upcycling of waste graphite, contributing to sustainable energy storage solutions.
