Template-assisted synthesis of multi-shelled carbon hollow spheres with an ultralarge pore volume as anode materials in Li-ion batteries

By reinventing single-shelled silica hollow spheres and double-shelled silica hollow spheres as the permeable templates, double and quadruple shell carbon hollow spheres are prepared. For this intriguing architecture, the ultralarge pore volume (3.02 cm(3) g(-1)) and the ultrahigh Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) specific surface areas (similar to 1534 m(2) g(-1)) endow the multi-shelled carbon hollow structures with a high reversible capacity (similar to 978 mA h g(-1)). Remarkably, a high capacity of 753 mA h g(-1) at both low and high current densities can still be attained after 75 cycles. Such a breathable structure makes the multi-shelled hollow structure a superior anode material for a Li-ion battery.