Rapid aqueous synthesis of ordered mesoporous carbons: Investigation of synthesis variables and application as anode materials for Li-ion batteries

Ordered mesoporous carbons (OMC) were synthesized via a direct templating pathway by a synthesis route that features short duration, moderate temperature and aqueous media. Resorcinol was used as carbon precursor and hexamethylenetetramine as a source of formaldehyde and ammonia to respectively cross-link the framework and regulate the pH. The temperature of the heat treatment leading to the formation of the solid polymer was shown to have a strong influence on the structural and textural parameters. In particular, moderate temperatures led to the coexistence of differently-sized entangled hexagonal mesostructures, whereas the higher temperatures led to a sharp decrease in the mesopore volume. The performance of these materials as anode materials for Li-ion batteries has been investigated in detail. Although these OMC show reversible capacities similar to those reported for hard carbons, their long-term cycling remains very stable for over 100 cycles of charge/discharge. The optimization of the reported short preparation pathway offers new possibilities regarding the application of ordered mesoporous carbons in various fields, such as energy storage, sorption and heterogeneous catalysis. (c) 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.