Molecular Stitching in Polysaccharide Precursor for Fabricating Hard Carbon with Ultra‐High Plateau Capacity of Sodium Storage

Abstract High energy density of sodium‐ion batteries (SIBs) requires high low‐voltage capacity and initial Coulombic efficiency for hard carbon. However, simultaneously achieving both characteristics is a substantial challenge. Herein, a unique molecular stitching strategy is proposed to edit the polymeric structure of common starch for synthesizing cost‐effective hard carbon (STHC‐MS). A mild air‐heating treatment toward starch is employed to trigger the esterification reaction between carboxyl and hydroxy groups, which can effectively connect the branched polysaccharide chains thereby constructing a highly cross‐linked polymeric network. In contrast with the pristine branched‐chain starch, the cross‐linking…

• NN
  National Natural Science Foundation of China

  Awards: 52372218, U22A20119