Development Of Anode Materials Research Articles

One-Pot Fast Electrochemical Synthesis of Ternary Ni-Cu-Fe Particles for Improved Urea Oxidation

The climate crisis has become the most serious concern of human beings and environments worldwide in the 21st century. Global concerns about cancer epidemiology mainly originate from anthropogenic activities, particularly fossil-based operations. A key solution to this problem is the use of fuel cells—devices—capable of the direct conversion of fuel chemical energies like urea into electricity. To make their commercialization reasonable, one of the problems that needs to be solved is the development of anodic materials. The majority of investigations on urea oxidation are based on nickel, but its inadequate activity limits the efficiency of these devices. In this work, we propose and synthesize a Ni-Cu-Fe ternary electrocatalyst for urea oxidation through a fast and facile electrodeposition method. The properties of the synthesized material are examined by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) conjugated with Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), and X-ray Diffraction (XRD). Its electrochemical properties were also examined in a 1 M KOH solution with and without 0.15 M urea. We found that the prepared powder is active in the electro-oxidation of urea, with 1.65 Vvs RHE required for a current density of 10 mA cm−2 and a stable potential of 2.38 Vvs RHE required for 3 h of polarization at 10 mA cm−2.

A Bandgap‐Tuned Tetragonal Perovskite as Zero‐Strain Anode for Potassium‐Ion Batteries

AbstractPIBs are emerging as a promising energy storage system due to high abundance of potassium resources and theoretical energy density, however, progress of PIBs is severely hindered by structural instability and poor cycling of anode material during continual insertion and extraction of larger‐sized K+. Hence, developing anode material with structural stability and stable cycling remains a great challenge. Herein, band gap‐tuned Mo‐doped and carbon‐coated lead titanate (CMPTO) with zero‐strain K+ storage is presented as ultra‐stable PIBs anode. Mo doping introduces narrowed band gap and optimized crystal lattice for enhanced intrinsic electron and ion transfer. Demonstrated by in situ XRD characterizations, the crystal structure stays stable with unchanged peak positions, fully revealing zero‐strain characteristic of CMPTO anode during potassium storage for stable cyclic capability. Ultimately, CMPTO anode achieved ultra‐stable cycling performance of 7000 cycles at 500 mA g−1 with high capacity retention of 90 % and considerable specific capacity of 130.9 mAh g−1 after 600 cycles at 100 mA g−1; with relatively large density, CMPTO realized eminent volumetric capacity of 1111.09 mAh cm−3 and ultra‐long cycling life of 10000 cycles at 7041 mA cm−3. This work introduces a promisingly new route into developing anode materials with ultra‐stable performance for PIBs.

New Suggestion of Highly Durable Electrode Design for Ordered Mesoporous Ni-Mn Binary Transition Metal Oxide Anode Material in Lithium-Ion Batteries.

Anode materials storing large-scale lithium ions gradually decrease electrochemical performance due to severe volume changes during cycling. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop anode materials with high electrochemical capacity and durability, without deterioration arising due to the volume changes during the electrochemical processes. To date, mesoporous materials have received attention as anode materials due to their ability to mitigate volume expansion, offer a short pathway for Li+ transport, and exhibit anomalous high capacity. However, the nano-frameworks of transition metal oxide collapse during conversion reactions, demanding an improvement in nano-framework structure stability. In this study, ordered mesoporous nickel manganese oxide (m-NMO) is designed as an anode material with a highly durable nanostructure. Interestingly, m-NMO showed better cycle performance and higher electrochemical capacity than those of nickel oxide and manganese oxide. Operando small-angle X-ray scattering and ex situ transmission electron microscopic results confirmed that the binary m-NMO sustained a highly durable nanostructure upon cycling, unlike the single metal oxide electrodes where the mesostructures collapsed. Ex situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy proved that nickel and manganese showed different electrochemical reaction voltages, and thus undergoes sequential conversion reactions. As a result, both elements can act as complementary nano-propping buffers to maintain stable mesostructure.

Coal-based graphene derived from different coal ranks: exceptional sodium storage performance in sodium-ion batteries.

Coal is a premium carbon material precursor as anode materials for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). Additionally, developing anode materials with large capacity and rapid charging performance is essential for the advancement of SIBs. Consequently, in this work, coal-based reduced graphene oxide (CrGO) was prepared as an anode materials for SIBs by a modified Hummers-high temperature thermal reduction method with different ranks of coal (coal-based graphite, CG) as a precursor. The CG prepared from higher-rank coal exhibits a higher degree of graphitization, and its graphene layers are easier to exfoliate. The unique microstructure of CrGO provides stability during the sodium storage process and exhibits fast ion capacitive adsorption behavior, enhancing reaction kinetics. CrGO, with an initial reversible capacity of up to 331 mA h g-1 at a current density of 0.03 A g-1, achieves a specific capacity of 75 mA h g-1, even at a high current density of 10 A g-1. Notably, CrGO also maintains a good specific capacity of 123 mA h g-1 after 1000 cycles at a current density of 1 A g-1, with a capacity retention rate of 91.8%. This study highlights the potential for using coal-derived materials in the development of high-performance anode materials for SIBs, promoting the green and high-value utilization of coal.

A Review of Carbon Anode Materials for Sodium-Ion Batteries: Key Materials, Sodium-Storage Mechanisms, Applications, and Large-Scale Design Principles.

Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) have been proposed as a potential substitute for commercial lithium-ion batteries due to their excellent storage performance and cost-effectiveness. However, due to the substantial radius of sodium ions, there is an urgent need to develop anode materials with exemplary electrochemical characteristics, thereby enabling the fabrication of sodium-ion batteries with high energy density and rapid dynamics. Carbon materials are highly valued in the energy-storage field due to their diverse structures, low cost, and high reliability. This review comprehensively summarizes the typical structure; energy-storage mechanisms; and current development status of various carbon-based anode materials for SIBs, such as hard carbon, soft carbon, graphite, graphene, carbon nanotubes (CNTs), and porous carbon materials. This review also provides an overview of the current status and future development of related companies for sodium-ion batteries. Furthermore, it offers a summary and outlook on the challenges and opportunities associated with the design principles and large-scale production of carbon materials with high-energy-density requirements. This review offers an avenue for exploring outstanding improvement strategies for carbon materials, which can provide guidance for future application and research.

Eco‐friendly Anode Materials for Lithium and Sodium‐ion Batteries from Wood Sources

AbstractThe intricate materials found in nature boast remarkable multifunctional properties honed through millions of years of evolution, resulting in the highest optimal organization in terms of function, structure, and chemistry. Leveraging the distinctive attributes of natural materials through biomimicry present a captivating avenue for research, brimming with vast potential for groundbreaking discoveries. Among the array of precursors available, wood stands out as a prominent candidate that covered over 30 % of the global land surface. Renowned for its captivating mechanical properties and anisotropic hierarchical porosity finely tuned to facilitate swift pathways, wood embodies attributes of abundance and biodegradability. Consequently, scientists have drawn inspiration from wood's exceptional characteristics to engineer batteries exhibiting remarkable electrochemical performance. For instance, the characteristic hierarchical multi‐channeled construction of wood serves as a blueprint for synthesizing energy storage materials endowed with heightened ion and electron diffusivity. Serving as an integrated carbonaceous scaffold featuring a hierarchical architecture and aligned channels, wood‐based anodes enhance ion and electron conductivities, while bolstering the kinetics of charge transfer in lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs) and sodium‐ion batteries (SIBs). This review underscores the recent strides made in utilizing wood as a hierarchically porous and renewable material for developing anode materials tailored for LIBs and SIBs. Additionally, it sheds light on the potential of wood‐derived anode materials for LIBs and SIBs to alleviate the strain on critical raw materials, while accentuating the additional environmental sustainability benefits derived from such innovations.

A Bandgap-Tuned Tetragonal Perovskite as Zero-Strain Anode for Potassium-Ion Batteries.

PIBs are emerging as a promising energy storage system due to high abundance of potassium resources and theoretical energy density, however, progress of PIBs is severely hindered by structural instability and poor cycling of anode material during continual insertion and extraction of larger-sized K+. Hence, developing anode material with structural stability and stable cycling remains a great challenge. Herein, bandgap-tuned Mo-doped and carbon-coated lead titanate (CMPTO) with zero-strain K+ storage is presented as ultra-stable PIBs anode. Mo doping introduces narrowed bandgap and optimized crystal lattice for enhanced intrinsic electron and ion transfer. Demonstrated by in situ XRD characterizations, the crystal structure stays stable with unchanged peak positions, fully revealing zero-strain characteristic of CMPTO anode during potassium storage for stable cyclic capability. Ultimately, CMPTO anode achieved ultra-stable cycling performance of 7000 cycles at 500 mA g-1 with high capacity retention of 90% and considerable specific capacity of 130.9 mAh g-1 after 600 cycles at 100 mA g-1; with relatively large density, CMPTO realized eminent volumetric capacity of 1111.09 mAh cm-3 and ultra-long cycling life of 10000 cycles at 7041 mA cm-3. This work introduces a promisingly new route into developing anode materials with ultra-stable performance for PIBs.

Two-dimensional metallic Be2Al monolayer as a potential anode material for lithium-ion/sodium-ion batteries

Developing anode materials that combine excellent robustness, high-volume capacity, and superior electrical conductivity is essential for advancing high-performance ion batteries. Through comprehensive first-principles calculations, this paper illustrates the possibility of a two-dimensional Be2Al monolayer as an anode candidate for lithium/sodium-ion batteries. The Be2Al monolayer exhibits a high theoretical energy storage capacity (2382/2382 mAh/g for Li/Na) and an ultra-low diffusion barrier (124/77 meV for Li/Na). Its average open-circuit voltage (0.35/0.52 V for Li/Na) falls within the desired ideal range. Additionally, the Be2Al monolayer demonstrates excellent electrical conductivity, facilitating efficient electron transport. These promising outcomes indicate that the Be2Al monolayer can be an effective anode for next-generation lithium-ion and sodium-ion batteries.

In-situ growth transformation and oxygen vacancy synergistic modulation of the electronic structure of NiCo-LDH enables high-performance hybrid supercapacitors

This article successfully constructs NiCo-LDH nano cages formed by in-situ triggering (IS-LDH), and synergistically modulates the electronic structure by introducing oxygen vacancies. The in-situ triggered generation of NiCo-LDH (IS-LDH) by synthesizing ZIF-67 owns a typical rhombic dodecahedral structure and sensitivity to acid etching. Characterization analysis revealed that the IS-LDH nanocage succeeded the polyhedral structure morphology of ZIF-67 but with multiple vertically aligned nanosheets on the shell. Oxygen vacancies (Ov) were introduced into the IS-LDH through a chemical reduction process using sodium borohydride. The findings demonstrate that the synthesized OvIS-LDH nanocapacitor has a low charge transfer resistance (Rct) with a specific capacitance as high as 1111C g−1 (at 1 A g−1). After 10,000 cycles of charge-discharge measurements, the capacity retention rate was 89.45%. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations confirmed that the inclusion of Ov enhanced the repulsion of OH− by the LDH nanosheets and improved the intrinsic conductivity of LDH. The assembled hybrid supercapacitor (OvIS-LDH//AC) successfully powered an LED light for 20 min. This study proposes a logical approach for developing anode materials that can enhance the performance of supercapacitors.

Overview of coals as carbon anode materials for sodium-ion batteries

Abstract Energy storage is an important technology in achieving carbon-neutrality goals. Compared with lithium-ion batteries, the raw materials of sodium-ion batteries are abundant, low-cost, and highly safe. Furthermore, their costs are expected to be further reduced as large-scale applications take off, making them viable for energy storage applications. The primary anode material for sodium-ion batteries is hard carbon, which has a high sodium-ion storage capacity but is relatively expensive, limiting its applications in energy storage. In order to widen the applications of sodium-ion batteries in energy storage and other fields, it is particularly important to develop anode materials that have both high performance and low cost. Coals, with abundant reserves and worldwide availability, can serve as low-cost carbon sources for anode materials. Additionally, coals of different grades of metamorphism have different structural characteristics that can be tailored for the structural characteristics of coal-based anode materials for sodium-ion batteries. Recent research on tailoring coals as the anode materials for sodium-ion batteries is summarized and the recent progress made towards mitigating the existing issues is analysed in this review. Specifically, the impacts of different grades of metamorphism on the sodium-ion storage performance of coal-based anode materials prepared using direct carbonization are discussed in detail. Studies on improving the electrochemical performances of coal-based anode materials through pore and microcrystalline structure controls and surface as well as interface modifications are presented. Finally, the advantages and disadvantages of different preparation methods are identified. To make the industrial applications of coal-based anode materials for sodium-ion batteries more viable, the importance of the de-ashing process is introduced.

Mn-doped FeNCN as advance anode for potassium ion batteries

The development of anode materials with advanced structures to facilitate rapid charge transport and enhance potassium storage performance is urgently needed to propel the advancement of potassium ion batteries (PIBs). Transition metal carbodiimides have emerged as promising PIB electrode materials, but achieving high capacity and long-lasting cycling stability remains a challenging task. Here, Mn-doped FeNCN was synthesized by a one-step high-temperature solid-state reaction. Mn doping expands the lattice and boosts ionic conductivity, enabling favorable potassium ion storage and enhanced charging/discharging rates. In addition, density functional theory (DFT) calculations also prove that Mn-doped FeNCN facilitates the enhancement of potassium ions adsorption and promotes electron transfer. As a result, optimized Mn-FeNCN delivers high reversible capacity (402.6 mAh/g at 100 mA g−1) as PIBs anode. Even at high current density of 1000 mA g−1, it still delivers the reverse capacity of 301 mAh/g. This work provides a promising strategy to improve electrochemical performance of the transition metal carbodiimides.

Recent Progress in Developing High-Performance Anode Materials for Next-Generation Sodium-Ion Batteries

Rechargeable lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have attracted great attention due to their large-scale energy storage applications such as electric vehicles (EVs) and grid-scale energy storage systems (ESSs). The ongoing transition towards EVs has accelerated ever-increasing demand for LIBs that causes the shortage of lithium metal resources and their expensive price. Therefore, great efforts have been made to exploit an alternative system that replaces the conventional LIBs. While sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) can be the most evident alternatives to LIBs based on the natural abundance and low cost of sodium resources, the major scientific challenges reside in developing the new anode materials due to the poor performance of conventional LIB anodes in Na cells, such as graphite and silicon. This article reviews the potential of SIBs as promising alternatives to LIBs and recent progress in developing high-performance anode materials for SIBs. The strengths and drawbacks of recently developed anode materials have been discussed, including graphite, hard carbon, silicon, phosphorus, and other transition metal compounds such as oxides, phosphides, and sulfides.

Confluence of ZnO and PTFE Binder for Enhancing Performance of Thin‐Film Lithium‐Ion Batteries

Developing anode materials with high specific capacity and cycling stability is vital for improving thin‐film lithium‐ion batteries. Thin‐film zinc oxide (ZnO) holds promise due to its high specific capacity, but it suffers from volume changes and structural stress during cycling, leading to poor battery performance. In this research, we ingeniously combined polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) with ZnO using a radio frequency (RF) magnetron co‐sputtering method, ensuring a strong bond in the thin‐film composite electrode. PTFE effectively reduced stress on the active material and mitigated volume change effects during Li+ ion intercalation and deintercalation. The composite thin films are thoroughly characterized using advanced techniques such as X‐ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy for investigating correlations between material properties and electrochemical behaviors. Notably, the ZnO/PTFE thin‐film electrode demonstrated an impressive specific capacity of 1305 mAh g−1 (=7116 mAh cm−3) at a 0.5C rate and a remarkable capacity retention of 82% from the 1st to the 100th cycle, surpassing the bare ZnO thin film (50%). This study provides valuable insights into using binders to stabilize active materials in thin‐film batteries, enhancing battery performance.

Graphene–Encapsulated Si@C with Dual Carbon Layer Structure as High‐Performance Anode Materials for Lithium–Ion Batteries

AbstractSilicon–based materials are among the highly promising anode candidates for Li–ion batteries owing to their excellent theoretical energy density. However, the huge volume variation makes the application of silicon anode in lithium–ion batteries be full of challenge. Herein, high–performance Si@C@rGO composites anode for lithium–ion batteries are successfully prepared by graphene oxide (GO) uniformly encapsulating resorcinol–formaldehyde resin (RF) coated silicon nanoparticles. The RF‐derived carbon layer can prevent the silicon from direct contact with the electrolyte. Furthermore, the continuous conductive graphene network not only improves the overall electrical conductivity of the composite material, but also can be reversibly deformed with the volume change of silicon during the charging and discharging process, thus greatly improving the structural stability of the anode. The optimal Si@C@rGO‐2 composite provides a high specific capacity of 743.9 mAh g−−1 after 300 cycles at a current density of 1 A g−1. Meanwhile, the material also exhibits good rate performance, showing a good reversible capacity of 719.5 mAh g−1 even at a high current density of 2 A g−1. In addition, this simple and low‐cost strategy of Si@C@rGO anode can provide a design reference for the further development of anode materials in lithium–ion batteries.

Inhibition of hydrogen evolution in proton battery by sulfamic acid-caprolactam electrolyte and its electrochemical study

Proton batteries are expected to be used in large-scale energy storage systems in the future because of their reliability, safety, non-toxicity, and low cost. However, the hydrogen evolution reaction in the electrolyte of a proton battery limits the development of a high-voltage proton battery, and it is difficult to study the anode materials with lower charge and discharge potential. In this study, a novel sulfamic acid-caprolactam based electrolytes for inhibiting hydrogen evolution in the proton batteries was investigated. Aminosulfonic acid was used as a proton source in the proton batteries for the first time. In addition, caprolactam cosolvent with double hydrogen bond site was added to the electrolyte to help H3O+ de-solvent into H+, which effectively inhibited the hydrogen evolution behavior in the electrolyte of proton battery. The MoO3 electrode showed good cycling stability in the SA-H2O-CPL electrolyte. After 300 cycles, the capacity retention rate was 83.3%, and the average CE value was 99.7%. After adding caprolactam to the electrolyte, the hydrogen evolution potential is reduced to -1.7 V, and the electrochemical stability window of the electrolyte is greatly widened, which will help to develop anode materials with lower redox potential and be of great significance to the realization of high voltage proton batteries.

Fabrication of a highly active β-PbO2-Co3O4 electrode for zinc electrowinning by pulse electrodeposition: Characterization and catalytic performance analysis

High oxygen evolution overpotential and low corrosion resistance are regarded as the main drawbacks of anode materials in zinc electrowinning. To improve the electrocatalytic activity of oxygen evolution reactions (OER) and reduce energy consumption in zinc electrowinning, a Co3O4 nanoparticle-modified PbO2 anode was prepared on a Ti substrate with Sn-SbOX as an interlayer through pulse electrodeposition. The surface morphology, phase composition, and electrochemical properties of the as-prepared anode were systematically investigated. The introduction of Co3O4 nanoparticles refined the crystal size of PbO2 and increased the surface roughness of the anode. Electrochemical tests suggested the excellent electrocatalytic activity of the Co3O4 nanoparticle-modified PbO2 anode. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations revealed that Co3O4 nanoparticles reduced the OER free energy (1.58 eV) and that pulse electrodeposition reduced the PbO2 crystal size and increased the active surface area of the anode. In the simulated zinc electrowinning test, an improved current efficiency (90.6 %) was achieved, and the low energy consumption (2,508.29 kW·h) for zinc production per ton was significantly reduced as compared with that for the conventional Pb-0.75 %Ag anode. The lifetime of the modified electrode is increased by approximately 36.8 %. This provides a reference for the design and development of anode materials with high oxygen evolution activity and strong corrosion resistance in zinc electrowinning systems.

Review—Recent Advancements in Graphene-Based Electrodes for Lithium-Ion Batteries

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are highly promising energy storage devices because they provide high power output and an extended cycling lifespan, resulting in a unified and efficient system. However, the current lithium-ion batteries have limitations in providing high energy density due to the slow spread of Li+ ions and the low electrical conductivity of the anode and cathode materials. This trade-off results in a situation where the power is concentrated rather than the energy. Furthermore, the significant disparities in capacity and kinetics between the anode and cathode lead to subpar rate performance and inadequate cycling stability. Hence, the development of anode materials with high power capability and structural stability holds immense importance in the context of practical LIBs. Graphene-based materials have been extensively analyzed as cathode materials in LIBs due to their distinctive structure and exceptional electrochemical characteristics. Noteworthy progress has been achieved in this field. This article summarizes recent advances in graphene-based anodes and cathodes for lithium-ion batteries. The paper concludes by analyzing current obstacles and providing recommendations for future research.

Computational study of novel 2H chromium ditelluride as an anode material for Li/K-ion batteries.

The goal of metal-ion battery research is to develop anode materials with high storage capacity. This study explored the potential of 2H phase CrTe2, composed of two hexagonally stacked layers, as an optimal anode material for Li/K-ion batteries using Density Functional Theory (DFT). Preliminary analyses revealed that the material possesses thermodynamic, structural, and mechanical stability. A key finding was the significantly negative adsorption energy, which enhances battery stability by preventing clustering and stabilizing Li/K adsorption on the material's surface. The adsorption energy values for Li/K were calculated to be -3.7 eV and -4.63 eV, respectively. These results suggest stable lithiation and potassiation processes, with maximum storage capacities of 1395 mA h g-1 for Li and 1134 mA h g-1 for K. Additionally, the calculated open-circuit voltages (OCVs) for CrTe2 were 0.13 V for K-ions and 0.20 V for Li-ions. We calculated the adsorption energy, structural and electronic properties, theoretical capacity, diffusion energy, and thermal stability. The electrical conductivity of the material increased, and its metallic properties were maintained with increasing metal-ion concentration. This study highlights the potential of CrTe2 as a novel anode material for Li-/K-ion batteries.

Structures, performances and applications of green biomass derived carbon in lithium-ion batteries

Most countries worldwide have committed to reaching carbon neutrality by the end of the century, with the aim to achieve Net Zero before 2060. To reduce the dependency of energy demands on fossil fuels, use of renewable energy and its gradual transition into the overall energy portfolio becomes increasingly critical. The solar and wind energy accounts for a major part of renewable energy. Considering unstable and noncontinuous production of electricity from these two sources, energy storage becomes essential. Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have become the most favorable choice of energy storage due to their good electrochemical performance (high capacity, low charge leakage and good cycle performance) and safety, in particular for portable (3C products, electric vehicles and drones) and stationary applications as well as for emergency electricity supply. However, the specific capacity of graphite, the most common commercial anode material, is reaching its theoretical limit, posing great challenges for improving the overall capacity of LIBs. It is therefore necessary to develop anode materials of higher capacity and better cycle performance. Biomass-derived carbon materials are ideal candidates for further enhancing the performance of LIBs due to their special microstructures, functional diversity and easy structure regulation. Most of these materials can reach capacities exceeding 500 mAh g-1, even the best for more than 1,000 mAh g-1 combined with other anode materials. This review provides an in-depth analysis of diverse carbon sources derived from biomass, categorized based on their distinct structural characteristics, with the focus on evaluating the current roles and bottlenecks of carbon as a component of the electrode materials used in LIBs. The failure mechanisms associated with biomass-derived carbon in LIBs are summarized, with potential solutions to these issues being proposed. The potential challenges and prospects for biomass-based LIBs are identified and thoroughly discussed. Overall, this review aims to serve as a resource for the strategic design and advancement of carbon-based materials, to achieve next-generation LIBs of superior performance.

Engineering Block Copolymer-Derived Porous Carbon Nanofibers as Anodes for Sodium Ion Batteries

For decades, lithium-ion batteries have seen widespread usage in a variety of applications from consumer electronics such as smartphones to the more recent developments of electric vehicles. As the usage of lithium for batteries increases, one growing concern is the finite amount that could be found within the Earth’s crust. An alternative that is being considered is sodium-ion batteries due to how plentiful sodium is in the Earth’s crust and similar chemical properties to lithium. One of the main challenges of sodium-ion batteries is the development of anode materials because sodium does not intercalate well with graphite, which is one of the most used materials in lithium-ion batteries. One promising development for anode materials is the use of hard carbon derived from the pyrolysis of polymers such as polyacrylonitrile (PAN) which can have various morphologies and potential for doping. Our work will focus on carbon nanofibers which show high 1-dimensional transport capabilities. With the addition of a sacrificial material such as polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) that will be removed entirely during the pyrolysis step, PAN/PMMA can be made into porous carbon nanofibers to further increase ion transport. When a PAN/PMMA blend is used, the pores are very random with a high degree of variation of pore characteristics, however studies have shown that the creation of a PAN-b-PMMA block copolymer would allow for more uniform pore structures. Our work intends to study the effects of pore structures on the electrochemical characteristics of porous carbon nanofiber anodes for sodium-ion batteries. The cycling stability data of coin cells made using hard carbon nanofibers derived from electrospun PAN (Nonporous), PAN/PMMA (Random Porous), and PAN-b-PMMA (Uniform Porous), shows their respective discharging specific capacities (mAh/g) at 0.1 A/g average at about 80, 116, and 175. A slight increase can be seen with the addition of random, nonuniform pores to the PAN hard carbon, however, with the highly uniform and controlled pores resulting from the pyrolysis of the PAN-b-PMMA block copolymer, a very significant increase in the discharging specific capacity can be seen.