Shape-controlled porous carbon from calcium citrate precursor and their intriguing application in lithium-ion batteries

Porous carbon nanosheets (PCNSs), porous carbon nanofibers (PCNFs), and flowerlike porous carbon microspheres (FPCMs) were successfully synthesized through a carbonization method combined with a simple acid pickling treatment using calcium citrate as the precursor. The as-prepared products show uniform morphologies, in which the FPCMs are self-assembled from PCNSs. As anodes of lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries, these carbon materials deliver a stable reversible capacity above 515 mAh g(-1) after 50 cycles at 100 mA g(-1). Compared with PCNSs and PCNFs, FPCMs demonstrate preferable rate capability (378 mAh g(-1) at 1 A g(-1)) and cyclability (643 mAh g(-1) at 100 mA g(-1)). These results suggest that an appropriate select of morphology and structure will significantly improve the lithium storage capacity. The study also indicates that the novel shape-controlled porous carbon materials have potential applications as electrode materials in electronic devices.