Flaky N-doped hard carbon anode material for sodium-ion batteries

Abstract Hard carbon (HC), as a promising anode material for sodium ion batteries, its sluggish diffusion performance hinders further improvement of electrochemical performance. In the preparation process of HC materials, the screening and treatment of precursors can optimize the structure and morphology of HC products, further affecting electrochemical performance. Here, we use peptone as the precursor of HC and prepare flaky N-doped HC (PFNC) through a one-step annealing method. Benefitting from this structure, the prepared PNFC delivers a specific capacity of 315.5 mAh g −1 at a current density of 20 mA g −1 with excellent rate performance and cyclic stability. This work proves that peptone is a valuable carbon precursor, opening a new avenue for further application and development of HC.