Catkin-Derived Hybrid Anode for High-Performance Lithium Ion Batteries

As a common biological waste, catkin shows negligible economic value and is hazardous to the environment and human respiratory health. To turn waste into treasure, in this work, a hybrid anode is successfully prepared by combining MnO with the catkin-derived 1D hollow carbon microtube via a simple one-step pyrolysis method. Benefiting from the high electrical conductivity and hollow microtubule structure of the catkin-derived carbon, the lithium ion battery based on the resultant MnO/C hybrid anode exhibits outstanding rate performance (high reversible specific capacity of 1365 mAh g-1 at a current density of 0.1 A g-1 and maintains 451 mAh g-1 even at a high current density of 6.4 A g-1) and superior cycling stability (retains ~100% after 1000 cycles at a current density of 0.8 A g-1). This work conforms to the development concept of green environmental protection and realizes the unity of economic and social benefits.