Molten Salt Assisted Low-Temperature Electro-Catalytic Graphitization of Coal Chars

A great effort has been centered around developing clean energy technologies (energy storage devices) to curtail burning fossil fuels' deleterious environmental effects. Rechargeable batteries [lithium-ion batteries (LIBs)] are among the most invested and investigated storage devices showing potential to transform fossil fuel-powered mobility to next-generation safe electromobility. However, LIBs powered electric vehicles (EV) are expensive due to the high-cost graphite anode associated with LIBs. Herein, the synthesis of low-cost, highly crystalline nano-graphite with a tunable microstructural architecture has been demonstrated via molten salt assisted low-temperature electro-catalytic graphitization of coal chars, traditionally non-graphitizable carbon. Thus, graphite derived from coal chars exhibited nanoflake architecture and delivered high reversible capacity, stable long cycle life, and excellent electrochemical performance under fast charging/discharging conditions (5C, ∼12 min charge/discharge time). This finding paves the way to manufacture cost-effective high-energy-density batteries using as-synthesized graphite from readily available coal sources that could propel the EVs to the next level.