Rapid aqueous synthesis of ordered mesoporous carbons: Investigation of synthesis variables and application as anode materials for Li-ion batteries

Ordered mesoporous carbons (OMC) were synthesized via a direct templating pathway by a synthesis route that features short duration, moderate temperature and aqueous media. Resorcinol was used as carbon precursor and hexamethylenetetramine as a source of formaldehyde and ammonia to respectively cross-link the framework and regulate the pH. The temperature of the heat treatment leading to the formation of the solid polymer was shown to have a strong influence on the structural and textural parameters. In particular, moderate temperatures led to the coexistence of differently-sized entangled hexagonal mesostructures, whereas the higher temperatures led to a sharp decrease in the mesopore volume. The performance of these materials as anode materials for Li-ion batteries has been investigated in detail. Although these OMC show reversible capacities similar to those reported for hard carbons, their long-term cycling remains very stable for over 100 cycles of charge/discharge. The optimization of the reported short preparation pathway offers new possibilities regarding the application of ordered mesoporous carbons in various fields, such as energy storage, sorption and heterogeneous catalysis