Nitrogen-doped meso-macroporous carbon from waste asphalt as high-performance anode materials for alkali-ion batteries

Rechargeable alkali-ion (Li+, Na+, and K+) batteries with high conversion efficiency have attracted much attention for portable and sizeable energy storage. Deriving valuable battery materials from valueless waste materials is highly desirable to meet the surging demand of energy storage. However, waste-derived carbon materials often show low specific capacity and poor reversibility due to untamed physiochemical properties. In this paper, nitrogen doped meso-macroporous carbon (NMPC) materials are produced from waste asphalt with the assistance of nano-Fe2O3 template and melamine modification. The products show interconnected three-dimensional meso-macroporous structures and tunable nitrogen contents. As an anode material for Li-ion batteries, the NMPC with optimum nitrogen content delivers a reversible capacity of 602.3 mA h g−1 at 0.2 A g−1. Furthermore, it also discharges a reversible capacity of 210.8 mA h g−1 after 200 cycles and 201.5 mA h g−1 after 500 cycles for Na-ion batteries and K-ion batteries, respectively. The excellent and versatile electrochemical properties enable the concept of waste recovery and resource utilization, which can be used for the manufacture of environmentally friendly energy storage systems.