Activated carbons by a hydrothermal-assisted activated method for Li-ion batteries

Activated carbons are prepared by a hydrothermal-assisted alkali activated (HAA) process with sugarcane bagasse as the carbon precursor and KOH as the activated reagent. The physical and chemical properties of the hydrothermal-assisted alkali activated carbons (HAAC) are characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), nitrogen adsorption-desorption tests and electrochemical performance measurements. Compared to the activated carbons obtained from the traditional alkali activated (TAA) process, HAAC display much improved electrochemical performance when the samples are used as anode material for lithium ion batteries, which attributed to their higher specific surface area, favorable pore size distribution and inter-connected frameworks.