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Abstract
Two kinds of coal have been used as precursors for anode materials for Li-ion batteries: brown coal and subbituminous coal. These anode materials have been subjected to surface modification with nitrogen functional groups through gaseous NO treatment, either with or without prior steam activation. The structural and surface properties of the obtained carbonaceous materials have been studied by XRD and FT-IR/PAS techniques. The chemical compositions and porous structures of samples have also been analysed. The process of electrochemical insertion/deinsertion of lithium cations has been studied. It was found that only activated and then nitrogenated materials exhibit satisfactory reversible capacities, similar to the characteristics of graphitic anode materials. The sample derived from brown coal is characterised by greater initial reversible capacity, while the material based on subbituminous coal exhibits a more stable behaviour upon prolonged cycling. Initial irreversible capacities remain too large for most conventional applications.