Ultra-high rate and ultra-stable lithium storage enabled by pore and defect engineered carbon nanofibers

Abstract

Carbon-based materials have emerged as promising anode candidates for lithium-ion capacitors (LICs) owing to the advantages of high electronic conductivity and environmental benignity. However, further development of carbonaceous anodes has been greatly hindered by the sluggish kinetics and insufficient cycling stability. Herein, mesopore-rich N-doped carbon nanofibers (MNCNF) membranes are designed as a free-standing anode material to achieve ultra-high rate and ultra-long lifespan Li storage performance. The interconnected network with rich mesopore volume, high doping level of pyridinic/pyrrolic N, and expanded interlayer spacing affords the as-fabricated MNCNF anode abundant active sites, promoted electronic conductivity and superior diffusion kinetics. With prominent merits of pore and defect engineering, MNCNF anode manifests extraordinary Li storage performance in terms of ultra-high rate capability (139 mA h g−1 at 50 A g−1) and ultra-long cycling stability (370 mA h g−1 after 10000 cycles at 10 A g−1). More importantly, LICs by using MNCNF as anodes deliver a high energy density of 165 Wh kg−1 and an ultra-high power density of 132 kW kg−1, together with a high capacitance retention of 84% after 20000 cycles. This study demonstrates the combination of pore and defect engineering for boosting Li storage performance and holds great promise for practical applications.