Functionalization of Fast-Charging Hard Carbon Anode for Ah-Level Li-Ion Pouch Batteries

The development of fast-charging anode materials is crucial for overcoming the sluggish reaction kinetics of conventional graphite electrodes in lithium-ion batteries. This work presents a kilogram-scale producible hard carbon/graphene flake (HC-GF) composite anode engineered based on an “electron Velcro” conductive network design. In this architecture, highly conductive GFs are intimately integrated with the HC matrix, creating multidimensional electron/ion transport channels while effectively minimizing interfacial resistance. The resulting HC-GF anode exhibits exceptional electrochemical performance, delivering a reversible capacity of 506.4 mAh g −1 and maintaining 223.8 mAh g −1 at a 10 C rate (corresponding to 6-min fast charging). Remarkably, when blended with graphite at a 20% ratio in a 5 Ah LFP//graphite + 20% (HC-GF) pouch cell, this minimal doping level substantially enhances multiple performance metrics, particularly fast-charging capability and cycling stability. The pouch cell retains 3.39 Ah after 600 cycles at 3 C, corresponding to an impressive capacity retention of 94.6%. This study provides a valuable material strategy for advancing fast-charging lithium-ion battery technologies.