Sustainable polysaccharide-derived mesoporous carbons (Starbon®) as additives in lithium-ion batteries negative electrodes

For the first time, polysaccharide-derived mesoporous carbonaceous materials (Starbon®) are used as carbon additives in Li-ion battery negative electrodes. A set of samples with pore volumes ranging from ≈0 to 0.91 cm3 g-1 was prepared to evidence the role of porosity in such sustainable carbon additives. Both pore volume and pore diameter have been found crucial parameters for improving the electrodes performance e.g. reversible capacity. Mesoporous carbons with large pore volumes and pore diameters provide efficient pathways for both lithium ions and electrons as proven by the improved electrochemical performances of Li4Ti5O12 (LTO) and TiO2 based electrodes compared to conventional carbon additives. The mesopores provide easy access for the electrolyte to the active material surface, and the fibrous morphology favors the connection of active materials particles. These results suggest that polysaccharide-derived mesoporous carbonaceous materials are promising, sustainable carbon additives for Li-ion batteries.