Nano-MgO templated mesoporous carbon as anode material for Li-ion batteries

The mesoporous carbon material is prepared by using phenolic resin and MgO nanoparticles as precursor and template, respecitively. The microstructure of the carbon is characterized by N-2 adsorption/desorption, Hg porosimetry and field-emission scanning electron microscopy(SEM). The electrochemical performances of the carbon as anode material for lithium ion batteries are evaluated by galvanostatic charge/discharge and cyclic voltammetry tests. It is shown that the BET surface area of the mesoporous carbon material can reach 1024 m(2)/g. Its pore size distributes between 20 and 50nm. The mesoporous carbon possesses high first discharge capacity and good cycling performance. It is believed that it is an effective method to use nano-MgO particle as template to prepare mesoporous carbon anode materials for lithium ion batteries.