A comparative study of anode properties of two ordered mesoporous carbons with tailored crystalline structure for lithium ion batteries

Abstract

Ordered mesoporous carbons (C-1 and C-2) with tailored pore size and defined crystal orientation are prepared by liquid crystal template carbonization method using AR-mesophase pitch as carbon precursors and SBA-15 as template. The topography, pore/crystalline structure are extensively characterized via high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HR-TEM), N2 adsorption/desorption and powder X-ray diffraction (XRD). The electrochemical properties of C-1 and C-2 as anode materials for lithium ion batteries (LIBs) are examined by galvano-statically charge/discharge and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Materials characterization shows that the carbons prepared in this work replicate the ordered mesoporous structure of the SBA-15 and possess tailored crystalline structure with graphene layers perpendicular to the axial of pore walls. The carbons both display preferable anode performance for LIBs. However, C-2 with thicker pore wall exhibits better properties than C-1 with larger pore size. Possible reasons for different properties are the influence of the pore structure and wall thickness of as-prepared mesoporous carbons. © the authors.