C₆₀-derived long-range ordered porous carbon as anodes for lithium-ion and sodium-ion batteries

The search for novel carbons has been an important research topic for developing high-performance anodes of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) and sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). In this study, we fabricated a new carbon, long-range ordered porous carbon (LOPC), by inducing covalent bonds between face-centered cubic C₆₀ (fcc C₆₀) cages in a molecular crystal via electron injection under vacuum at ~ 520 °C. The LOPC maintains the periodic lattice of the fcc C₆₀ molecular crystal but has improved structural stability and electrical conductivity because of the sp² bonding formed between C₆₀ molecules. Compared with fcc C60, which has a much greater specific surface area (327.1 m²·g⁻¹), LOPC has a specific capacity of 820.9 mA·h·g⁻¹ or 292.9 mA·h·g⁻¹ as an anode for LIBs or SIBs, both of which are measured at a current density of 0.1 A·g⁻¹. This porous yet ordered carbon may open new opportunities for anode materials in electrochemical energy storage.