The Structure Evolution of Hydroxyl-Reacted LiBC to Improve the Capacity for Li-Ion Batteries

As a graphite-like material, the LiBC can deliver a high capacity up to 500 mA h g-1 in Li-ion batteries, which is dependent on the carbon precursor, the high-temperature treatment, and the lithium insufficiency. However, the underlying mechanism is still not clear for the electrochemical reactions of LiBC. In this work, the pristine LiBC was reacted with aqueous solutions of different alkalinity, which was delithiated chemically and retained the layered structure. According to the XPS and NMR results, the B-B bond might be produced through the aqueous reaction or the initial charge process, which can be oxidized (charged) and reduced (discharged) in the electrochemical measurements. In the Li-ion battery, the reversible capacity of LiBC increases evidently with the alkalinity of aqueous solution and significantly rises to a similar value of ca. 285 mA h g-1 under 200 cycles. Therefore, the specific capacity of LiBC should be contributed by the active sites of B-B bonds, which can be significantly increased through the reaction with the hydroxyl ions, and this strategy might be adopted to activate more graphite-like materials.