Exploring Vinyl Polymers as Soft Carbon Precursors for M-Ion (M = Na, Li) Batteries and Hybrid Capacitors

Afshin Pendashteh,Jon Ajuria,María Jáuregui,Damien Saurel,Brahim Orayech

doi:10.3390/en13164189

Abstract

The viability of the sodium-ion batteries as a post-lithium storage technology is strongly tied to the development of high-performance carbonaceous anode materials. This requires screening novel precursors, and tuning their electrochemical properties. Soft carbons as promising anode materials, not only for batteries, but also in hybrid capacitors, have drawn great attention, due to safe operation voltage and high-power properties. Herein, several vinyl polymer-derived soft carbons have been prepared via pyrolysis, and their physicochemical and sodium storage properties have been evaluated. According to the obtained results, vinyl polymers are a promising source for preparation of soft carbon anode materials for sodium-ion battery application. In addition, their applicability towards Li-ion battery and hybrid capacitors (e.g., Li ion capacitors, LICs) has been examined. This work not only contrasts the carbonization products of these polymers with relevant physicochemical characterization, but also screens potential precursors for soft carbons with interesting alkali metal-ion (e.g., Na or Li, with an emphasis on Na) storage properties. This can stimulate further research to tune and improve the electrochemical properties of the soft carbons for energy storage applications.

Highlights

Li-ion batteries (LIBs) are currently the most advanced electrical energy storage devices, and are used in many applications
We studied the pyrolysis and carbonization of four simple vinyl polymers, including polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), polyvinyl acetate (PVAc), polyvinyl butyral (PVB), and PVC with the aim of preparing soft carbons
This, along with the order and extent of exclusion originating from the intrinsic chemistry of the precursor, is the origin of the interplanar distance range usually seen in the soft carbons (e.g., 3.4 ≤ d002 ≤ 3.6 Å)

Summary

Introduction

Li-ion batteries (LIBs) are currently the most advanced electrical energy storage devices, and are used in many applications (including smartphone and electric vehicles). Many similar aspects in these two battery technologies will result in a quick SIB-transition to the market, thanks to all fabrication advances for LIBs made over the past two decades [4]. These similarities do not extend to the applicability of LIBs’ electrode materials in SIBs—this is one of the main bottlenecks of SIBs commercialization.

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Conclusion