Sakura Derived Hierarchical Porous Carbons As a High-Performance Cathode Host for Lithium-Sulfur Batteries

Sakura petals were collected as raw materials for the manufacture of porous carbon hosts for use as cathodes in lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries by a direct pyrolysis method and chemical activation process. The evolution of the morphology and microstructure of sakura petal-derived carbon materials was investigated in detail. Furthermore, the electrochemical performance of Li-S batteries assembled from composite cathodes with sakura petal-derived carbon products as the host and pure sulfur as the active material were systematically researched. The results indicated that the morphology of the products changed from a plate-like morphology to plates with ordered grooves and then to a wrinkled sheet-like morphology. In addition, many micropores were formed during the activation process. Moreover, the sample that underwent two-step activation exhibited an improved specific discharging capacity, cycling performance and rate performance. In summary, the sakura-derived carbon host is expected to assist in the future application of Li-S batteries.