Laser-Induced Porous Graphene-Based Materials and Its Potential Application in Lithium-Ion Batteries

Laser-induced coal-based graphene (C-LIG) is a promising field in energy materials research that focuses on converting abundant coal resources into high-value graphene-based materials using low-cost and environmentally friendly processes. In this study, we successfully produced few-layer graphene from low-volatility bituminous coal under vacuum conditions using carbon dioxide infrared laser equipment. The results showed that the laser-induced graphene consists predominantly of 2-5 layers, featuring multipore structures with smaller-size pores on the pore walls. It also exhibits large interlayer spacing with the layers arranged in a long-range disorder, demonstrating high crystallinity and significant expansion of the aromatic layers. Notably, the interlayer spacing increases as the number of graphene layers decreases. When used as an anode material for lithium-ion batteries, C-LIG demonstrates a high specific capacity of 330 mA h g-1 at 0.1 A g-1, outperforming commercial graphite-based batteries. The expended interlayer spacing and unique pore structure promote rapid lithium-ion transfer, enhancing the storage performance. These findings suggest that C-LIG holds great potential for applications in electrochemical energy storage.