Graphitized porous carbon prepared from pyrolysis of Sterculia scaphigera and its application in lithium ion batteriesElectronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/c5ra06215b

Sterculia scaphigera exhibits exceptional capability to inhale a large amount of water, which is accompanied by great volume expansion. In this study, we present, for the first time, the eco-friendly preparation of graphitic porous carbon materials via a simple pyrolysis of H 2 O-adsorbed Sterculia scaphigera under moderate temperature. Nitrogen adsorption/desorption, X-ray diffraction, Raman spectra and transmission electron microscopy characterizations indicate that water adsorption plays a critical role in developing the abundant micropore architectures and high specific surface area as well as promoting the graphitization degree of the as-obtained porous carbon. Furthermore, the as-prepared porous carbon demonstrated superior electrochemical performance with a good combination of moderated capacity, good rate capability, extremely stable cycling and high coulombic efficiency. Sterculia scaphigera exhibits exceptional capability to inhale a large amount of water, which is accompanied by great volume expansion.