Morphological and electrochemical properties of ZIF-8/biomass-activated carbon hybrids for the anode of lithium-ion battery
摘要
This study reports the successful synthesis of a hybrid anode material by integrating zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) with biomass-derived activated carbon (AC) from coconut tree waste (ZIF-8-AC) and its calcined derivative (ZIF-8-AC-800). Structural and morphological analyses via XRD, SEM, and TEM confirm the preservation of ZIF-8 dodecahedral crystallinity and its uniform dispersion on the AC matrix. Post-calcination at 800 °C retains ZIF-8 framework-derived ZnO phase while enhancing graphitic ordering in the AC, as evidenced by FTIR and Raman spectroscopy. Electrochemical characterization reveals that ZIF-8-AC-800 exhibits a low charge transfer resistance (41.9 Ω) compared to ZIF-8-AC (53.3 Ω), attributed to improved electrical conductivity from carbonization. As a Lithium-ion battery (LIB) anode, ZIF-8-AC-800 delivers a high reversible specific capacity of 491 mAh g⁻¹ at 0.1 C, outperforming non-calcined ZIF-8-AC (223 mAh g⁻¹) due to synergistic effects between the conductive AC matrix and ZnO lithiation activity. The hybrid hierarchical porosity, facilitated by ZIF-8 microporosity and AC macropores, enhances Li+ diffusion kinetics and structural stability during cycling. This work underscores the potential of MOF-biomass carbon hybrids as eco-friendly anode materials and provides a simple laboratory-scale synthesis strategy that may be further optimized for future scale-up.