Solid waste-derived carbon as anode for high performance lithium-ion batteries

A facile and inexpensive synthesis process is developed to derive carbonaceous nanomaterials from dumped bicycle's inner rubber tube as a novel anode material for lithium ion batteries. Rubber tube -derived carbon soot (RTS) has synthesized via controlled oxidation process from bicycle's rubber tube to prepare high quality carbon soot without any organic impurities. Phase evaluation and surface morphology, structure and purity of the resultant RTS are analysed by various characterization tools. RTS consist of concentric carbon shells with quasi-crystalline nature. RTS exhibits stable Li-capacity of ~190 mAhg−1 at 2C-rate with 84% capacity retention continued after 1000 electrochemical cycles. This approach opens an innovative strategy to produce high quality carbonaceous nanomaterials from recycling of solid-waste bicycle's rubber tube, which can be used as electrodes for advanced electrochemical energy storage applications. [Display omitted] •Facile synthesis method to produce carbonaceous nanomaterials from dumped bicycle's tube•Rubber tube soot (RTS) consist of concentric carbon shells with quasi-crystalline nature.•RTS exhibited stable electrochemical performance at high current density.•RTS electrode has a high coulombic efficiency and a long cycle life.