Abstract
Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), used for energy supply and storage equipment, have been widely applied in consumer electronics, electric vehicles, and energy storage systems. However, the urgent demand for high energy density batteries and the shortage of lithium resources is driving scientists to develop high-performance materials and find alternatives. Low-volume expansion carbon material is the ideal choice of anode material. However, the low specific capacity has gradually become the shortcoming for the development of LIBs and thus developing new carbon material with high specific capacity is urgently needed. In addition, developing alternatives of LIBs, such as sodium ion batteries and potassium-ion batteries, also puts forward demands for new types of carbon materials. As is well-known, the design of high-performance electrodes requires a deep understanding on the working mechanism and the structural evolution of active materials. On this issue, ex-situ techniques have been widely applied to investigate the electrode materials under special working conditions, and provide a lot of information. Unfortunately, these observed phenomena are difficult to reflect the reaction under real working conditions and some important short-lived intermediate products cannot be captured, leading to an incomplete understanding of the working mechanism. In-situ techniques can observe the changes of active materials in operando during the charge/discharge processes, providing the concrete process of solid electrolyte formation, ions intercalation mechanism, structural evolutions, etc. Herein, this review aims to provide an overview on the characters of carbon materials in alkali ion batteries and the role of in-situ techniques in developing carbon materials.
Highlights
The energy crisis and severe environmental issues have driven scientists to develop efficient energy conversion solutions to utilize renewable energy and reduce emissions (Armand and Tarascon, 2008; Winter et al, 2018)
Traditional lead-acid batteries play an irreplaceable role in society, they are insufficient to meet the requirement of energy density for electronic devices and Carbon Anode and in-situ Characterization electric vehicles
The main limitation for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) and KIBs is to develop stable anode materials with high specific capacity that can be intercalated with ions reversibly, since the larger radiuses of sodium and potassium cause the hardness for the intercalations
Summary
The energy crisis and severe environmental issues have driven scientists to develop efficient energy conversion solutions to utilize renewable energy and reduce emissions (Armand and Tarascon, 2008; Winter et al, 2018). Developing anode materials with a high specific capacity plays an important role in enhancing the energy density of alkali ion batteries (LIBs) (Lee et al, 2016). The main limitation for SIBs and KIBs is to develop stable anode materials with high specific capacity that can be intercalated with ions reversibly, since the larger radiuses of sodium and potassium cause the hardness for the intercalations. Ex-situ characterization techniques have been applied and provided a lot of information on the morphology, structure, and composition, and these work play an important role in understanding the working mechanism of active materials in ion batteries. Carbon materials as well as their reaction mechanism in alkali metal ions batteries are elaborately expounded, followed with a presentation about the in-situ techniques on the investigation of SEI formation, ion insertion/extraction mechanism, degradation mechanism, etc. A summary on the current progress toward in-situ techniques is presented as well as the key issues concerning the challenges and perspectives prospect, which give constructive suggestions on the research focus and direction for developing better carbon anode materials
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
