Economic and High Performance Phosphorus-Carbon Composite for Lithium and Sodium Storage.

Porous carbon derived from rice hulls has potential for application in phosphorus-carbon composites as high capacity anode materials for lithium-ion and sodium-ion batteries. The native composition of rice husks produces a porous carbon with a unique doped structure, as well as an efficient pore and channel structure, which may facilitate high and stable lithium storage. After cycling for over 100 cycles, the composite delivered a capacity of about 1293 mAh g, as well as a coulombic efficiency of nearly 99% at the current density of 130 mA g with a capacity density of 1.43 mAh cm. High specific discharge capacities were maintained at different current densities (∼2224, ∼1895, ∼1642, and ∼1187 mAh g at 130, 260, 520, and 1300 mA g, respectively). This study may offer a golden opportunity to change the humble fate of rice hulls, and also pave the way toward successful battery application for phosphorus-carbon composite anode materials.