Proceedings of MATSUS Fall 2024 Conference (MATSUSFall24)
Publication date: 28th August 2024
New anode materials for sodium-ion batteries are constantly being researched to improve either the performance or the sustainability of the system. Mycelium, the roots of mushrooms, is mainly composed of chitin and chitosan which have a similar molecular structure as cellulose, and contains Nitrogen atoms known to improve the charge transfer properties. Its fibrous, highly branched structure allows it to create a 3 dimensional network by mechanical entanglement, which can decrease the need for binders, similarly to carbon nanotubes and the associated segregated network. [1] Different heat treatment (direct carbonisation, hydrothermal carbonisation, pre-activation) were performed on the raw mycelium fibres to assess wether it can be used as a precursor of hard carbon. Raman spectroscopy, BET surface analysis, SEM images and XPS were performed to fully characterise the resulting materials. The mycelium fibrous microstructure was maintained after all treatments as per SEM images. Both D and G band are present on the Raman spectra, showing the presence of graphitic domains. BET analysis informed about potential closed porosity formation after carbonisation above 1000°C but need to be confirmed by X-ray scattering. First electrochemical cells of mycelium carbonised at 800°C resulted in a specific capacity of 50mAh/g at 0.1C. Future work will consist on finding the optimal treatment as well as assessing the mechanical robustness of the network created by the mycelium, via different coating processes, in combination with other anode materials.
The author would like to thank Ed Hendrix from the University of Wageningen (The Netherlands) for providing the raw material for our preliminary tests.
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