Diatoms Biomass as a Joint Source of Biosilica and Carbon for Lithium-Ion Battery Anodes
Andrzej P. Nowak, Myroslav Sprynskyy, Izabela Wojtczak, Konrad Trzciński, Joanna Wysocka, Mariusz Szkoda, Bogusław Buszewski, Anna Lisowska‐Oleksiak
Abstract
The biomass of one type cultivated diatoms (Pseudostaurosira trainorii), being a source of 3D-stuctured biosilica and organic matter—the source of carbon, was thermally processed to become an electroactive material in a potential range adequate to become an anode in lithium ion batteries. Carbonized material was characterized by means of selected solid-state physics techniques (XRD, Raman, TGA). It was shown that the pyrolysis temperature (600 °C, 800 °C, 1000 °C) affected structural and electrochemical properties of the electrode material. Biomass carbonized at 600 °C exhibited the best electrochemical properties reaching a specific discharge capacity of 460 mAh g−1 for the 70th cycle. Such a value indicates the possibility of usage of biosilica as an electrode material in energy storage applications.