Nitrogen-doped corn stover-based porous carbon by double-defect synthesis strategy for highly lithium storage properties

Biomass-derived carbon materials present significant economic advantages alongside environmental sustainability, owing to their renewable nature and distinctive structure. They have been extensively studied for applications in energy storage. However, the low specific capacity over prolonged cycling periods impedes their progress. Activation of salt templates and heteroatom doping have been proven to be effective methods for enhancing the electrochemical properties of Biomass-derived carbon materials. This study focuses on utilizing waste corn straw as a precursor to develop nitrogen-doped poly porous carbon, which is employed as a negative electrode material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). The synergistic effects arising from heteroatom doping coupled with a dual-defect porous carbon structure resulted in exceptional electrochemical performance exhibited by nitrogen-doped corn stover-based porous carbon, achieving a reversible capacity of 425 mAh g⁻¹ after 600 cycles at a current density of 1 A g⁻¹. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations corroborate that the incorporation of nitrogen significantly enhances lithium-ion adsorption energies. Through element doping and structural adjustments made within this research, overall electrochemical performances for biomass-derived carbon materials were improved while proposing an economically viable solution for pollution-free sustainable anode materials suitable for industrial-scale production.