Carbon black nanoparticles with a high reversible capacity synthesized by liquid phase plasma process

Abstract

Carbon blacks synthesized by the liquid phase plasma process in benzene with and without distilled water showed a very high charging capacity of about 1,540–1,600 mAh/g depending on the liquid involved. CBs synthesized from organic benzene only were found to have a higher specific surface area compared to CBs from benzene with water, contributing to the higher charging capacity of 1,600 mAh/g. The charge–discharge cyclic stability (measured from 2 to 20 cycles) of the CBs synthesized from benzene was significantly improved with the addition of water from 58 % to about 70 % reversible capacity. Our results suggest a promising method of producing carbon black nanoparticles at low temperatures with a reasonable performance applicable for lithium ion batteries.