Porous Carbon Nanofibers Derived from Conducting Polymer: Synthesis and Application in Lithium-Ion Batteries with High-Rate Capability

Nanoscale porous carbon fibers (CNFs) were synthesized successfully by pyrolysis of conducting polymer in an argon atmosphere, which were synthesized by the self-degradation template method. The diameter and length of the fibers are 100 nm and 2−3 μm, respectively. Owing to the high porosity and conducting one-dimension network, these porous carbon nanofibers show enhanced lithium-ion storage properties when used as anode material in lithium-ion battery. The reversible specific capacity of the CNFs at a 0.5C rate is about 400 mAhg −1 . Moreover, they exhibit considerably specific capacity even at a high charge−discharge current; i.e., the reversible capacities are around 250 and 194 mAhg −1 at a rate of 10 and 20C, respectively.