The coal as high performance and low cost anodes for sodium-ion batteries

With good electrochemical performances and cost advantages, sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) have great potential in energy storage and other fields. It is crucial to research anode materials for SIBs with high performance and low cost to promote large-scale industrialization. In this study, the amorphous carbon-based anodes prepared by one-step carbonization of bituminous coal were firstly reported. When the materials were worked as anodes for SIBs in the voltage range of 0–1.5 V, an excellent reversible capacity of 270 mAh·g−1 and an initial coulombic efficiency (ICE) of 84.4% were achieved at a current density of 35 mA·g−1. More impressively, the carbon anodes possess merits of low cost, making the designed carbon anodes practicable to the industrial applications.