Research progress of lignin-derived materials in lithium/sodium ion batteries
Jingke Zhang, Hengxue Xiang, Zhiwei Cao, Shichao Wang, Meifang Zhu
Abstract
With the increase of energy consumption, the shortage of fossil resource, and the aggravation of environmental pollution, the development of cost-effective and environmental friendly bio-based energy storage devices has become an urgent need. As the second most abundant natural polymer found in nature, lignin is mainly produced as the by-product of paper pulping and bio-refining industries. It possesses several inherent advantages, such as low-cost, high carbon content, abundant functional groups, and bio-renewable, making it an attractive candidate for the rechargeable battery material. Consequently, there has been a surge of research interest in utilizing lignin or lignin-based carbon materials as the components of lithium-ion (LIBs) or sodium-ion batteries (SIBs), including the electrode, binder, separator, and electrolyte. This review provides a comprehensive overview on the research progress of lignin-derived materials used in LIBs/SIBs, especially the application of lignin-based carbons as the anodes of LIBs/SIBs. The preparation methods and properties of lignin-derived materials with different dimensions are systemically discussed, which emphasizes on the relationship between the chemical/physical structures of lignin-derived materials and the performances of LIBs/SIBs. The current challenges and future prospects of lignin-derived materials in energy storage devices are also proposed.