Carbon aerogels from bacterial nanocellulose as anodes for lithium ion batteries

Carbon aerogels with large open pores and high surface area are fabricated via pyrolysis of a readily available natural resource, e.g., bacterial nanocellulose (BNC) aerogels. Freeze-drying of the BNC hydrogels is used to preserve the 3D open network structure upon calcination whereas using Fe(III) improves the yield and H/C ratio. These carbon aerogels are explored as anodes in lithium ion batteries where it is shown that they deliver superior capacity retention and rate performance compared to other carbon-based materials.