Acta Phys. -Chim. Sin. ›› 2025, Vol. 41 ›› Issue (10): 100119.doi: 10.1016/j.actphy.2025.100119

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Enhanced sodium storage performance of asphalt-derived hard carbon through intramolecular oxidation for high-performance sodium-ion batteries

Wenhui Li1, Yakun Tang1,*(), Yusheng Zhou3, Yue Zhang1,*(), Wenhai Zhang1, Qingtao Ma1, Lang Liu1,*(), Sen Dong1, Yuliang Cao1,2,*   

  1. 1 State Key Laboratory of Chemistry and Utilization of Carbon Based Energy Resources; College of Chemistry, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830017, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China
    2 Engineering Research Center of Organosilicon Compounds & Materials of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, Hubei Province, China
    3 Beijing Sodium Element Era New Material Technology Co., Ltd., 102600 Beijing, China
  • Received:2025-04-20 Revised:2025-05-27 Accepted:2025-06-11 Published:2025-09-29
  • Contact: Email: yktang@xju.edu.cn (Yakun Tang)yuezhang@xju.edu.cn (Yue Zhang)liulang@xju.edu.cn (Lang Liu)ylcao@whu.edu.cn (Yuliang Cao)
  • Supported by:
    the Key R & D Program of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region(2024B01009-1); the Key R & D Program of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region(2024B04008-3); the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Science and Technology Partnership Program and International Science and Technology Cooperation Program(2023E01004); the National Natural Science Foundation of China(22368047); the National Natural Science Foundation of China(22468048)

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Abstract:

The development of high-performance and low-cost hard carbon plays a crucial role in the commercialization of sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). Asphalt is considered a suitable hard carbon precursor due to its wide distribution, abundance, and cost-effectiveness. However, its low capacity and poor electrochemical reaction kinetics limit its further application. Herein, we have successfully synthesized asphalt-based hard carbon nanosheets through a process of intramolecular oxidation, facilitated by the synergistic action of mixed acids. The introduction of sulfuric acid plays a crucial role in expanding the tightly packed asphalt molecules, which in turn allows for the intramolecular oxidation of asphalt molecules by nitric acid. This oxidation process effectively introduces oxygen-containing functional groups (OFGs), leading to an increase in interlayer spacing and the formation of a more nanoporous structure, resulting in both enhanced capacity and improved rate performance. The optimized asphalt-based hard carbon boosts reversible capacity from 115.0 to 304.4 mAh∙g−1 at 0.03 A∙g−1, and the plateau capacity is increased by 5.5 times. This work provides a profound understanding of the impact of liquid-phase acid oxidation on the structure and composition of sodium-storage hard carbon, and further unveils an effective method for obtaining low-cost and high-performance asphalt-based hard carbon.

Key words: Sodium-ion battery, Asphalt-based hard carbon, Nanosheet, Intramolecular oxidation