Templated transformation of g-C3N4 nanosheets into nitrogen-doped hollow carbon sphere with tunable nitrogen-doping properties for application in Li-ions batteries

• Published in: Carbon (New York) Vol. 168; pp. 458 - 467
• Main Authors: Tang, Yihua, Wang, Xiao, Chen, Jingjing, Wang, Xinxin, Wang, Dajian, Mao, Zhiyong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Elsevier Ltd 30-10-2020; Elsevier BV
• Subjects: Batteries; Carbon; Carbon nitride; Computer networks; Doping; Energy storage; Gateways; Graphite; Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4); Li-ions batteries; Lithium; Lithium ions; Nanosheets; Nitrogen; Nitrogen-doped carbon materials; Nitrogen-doping level; Nitrogen-doping types; Precursors; Rechargeable batteries; Synthesis; Nitrogen-doping level; Nitrogen-doped carbon materials; Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4); Li-ions batteries; Nitrogen-doping types
• ISSN: 0008-6223; 1873-3891
• DOI: 10.1016/j.carbon.2020.07.022

Fine control of nitrogen-doping in carbon materials is an urgent issue with great challenges for the applications in energy storage devices. In this work, nitrogen-doped hollow carbon spheres (NHCS) with tunable nitrogen-doping properties are synthesized by using graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) nanosheets as precursor and Zinc powder as the template. A series of characterization techniques were performed to evidence the successful transformation of NHCS from g-C3N4. The nitrogen-doping level from 12.76 at.% to 27.82 at.% and the relative doping fractions of pyridinic-N, pyrrolic-N and graphitic-N for the g–C3N4–derived carbon materials can be easily tuned by controlling the synthetic temperatures. Serving as Li-ions battery anodes, the resultant NHCS delivers an acceptable initial discharge capacity of 1012.4 mAh g−1 under a current density of 0.1 A g−1 and a promising cycling stability (1064.5 mAh g−1 after 400 cycles) as well as an excellent rate performance (360 mAh g−1 at 10 A g−1). This work provides a facile gateway to synthesize high nitrogen-doped carbon materials applying to energy storage devices, from nitrogen-rich g-C3N4 precursor.
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