Biomass-Derived Porous Carbon from Agar as an Anode Material for Lithium-Ion Batteries

New porous activated carbons with a high surface area as an anode material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) were synthesized by a one-step, sustainable, and environmentally friendly method. Four chemical activators—H2SO4, H3PO4, KOH, and ZnCl2—have been investigated as facilitators of the formation of the porous structure of activated carbon (AC) from an agar precursor. The study of the materials by Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) methods revealed its highly porous meso- and macro-structure. Among the used chemical activators, the AC prepared with the addition of KOH demonstrated the best electrochemical performance upon its reaction with lithium metal. The initial discharge capacity reached 931 mAh g−1 and a reversible capacity of 320 mAh g−1 was maintained over 100 cycles at 0.1 C. High rate cycling tests up to 10 C demonstrated stable cycling performance of the AC from agar.