N, S co-doped coal-based hard carbon prepared by two-step carbonization and a molten salt template method for sodium storage

• Published in: New carbon materials 2024-04, Vol.39 (2), p.297-307
• Main Authors: Niu, Hui-zhu, Wang, Hai-hua, Sun, Li-yu, Yang, Chen-rong, Wang, Yu, Cao, Rui, Yang, Cun-guo, Wang, Jie, Shu, Ke-wei
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Coal-derived carbon; Hard carbon; N and S co-doped; Sodium-ion battery; Two-step carbonization
• ISSN: 1872-5805; 1872-5805
• DOI: 10.1016/S1872-5805(24)60842-5

Hard carbon, known for its abundant resources, stable structure and high safety, has emerged as the most popular anode material for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). Among various sources, coal-derived hard carbon has attracted extensive attention. In this work, N and S co-doped coal-based carbon material (NSPC1200) was synthesized through a combination of two-step carbonization process and heteroatom doping using long-flame coal as a carbon source, thiourea as a nitrogen and sulfur source, and NaCl as a template. The two-step carbonization process played a crucial role in adjusting the structure of carbon microcrystals and expanding the interlayer spacing. The N and S co-doping regulated the electronic structure of carbon materials, endowing more active sites. Additionally, the introduction of NaCl as a template contributed to the construction of pore structure, which facilitates better contact between electrodes and electrolytes, enabling more efficient transport of Na+ and electrons. Under the synergistic effect, NSPC1200 exhibited exceptional sodium storage capacity, reaching 314.2 mAh g-1 at 20 mA g-1. Furthermore, NSPC1200 demonstrated commendable cycling stability, maintaining a capacity of 224.4 mAh g-1 even after 200 cycles. This work successfully achieves the strategic tuning of the microstructure of coal-based carbon materials, ultimately obtaining hard carbon anode with excellent electrochemical performance.