A MnOx–graphitic carbon composite from CO2 for sustainable Li-ion battery anodes

Abstract

The increasing concentration of CO₂ in the atmosphere is the leading cause of the greenhouse gas effect. Carbon capture and storage is an important topic to develop sustainable technologies. Molten salt CO₂ capture and electrochemical transformation represent a suitable process to produce various carbon products, such as carbon nanofibers, carbon nanotubes, graphite, and graphene. The employment of graphitic anode materials for Li-ion batteries coming from CO₂ capture is ideal for increasing battery sustainability. Moreover, the addition of transition metal oxides represents a suitable strategy for new negative electrodes because conversion reactions lead to high specific capacities. Among them, manganese has gained attention due to its multiple valence states and numerous possible crystalline structures. In the present work, a MnO_x–graphitic carbon composite obtained by electrolysis of CO₂via molten Li₂CO₃ is characterized and used to prepare a negative electrode for LIBs with an environmentally sustainable aqueous process.