NU SEDS Researchers Turn Coffee Grounds into High-Capacity Batteries

NU SEDS researchers, led by Assistant Professor Aishuak Konarov, have pioneered a method to convert coffee grounds into phosphorus-doped hard carbon for rechargeable sodium-ion batteries. Their article titled “From food waste to high-capacity hard carbon for rechargeable sodium-ion batteries” recently was published in Carbon Resources Conversion (CRC). This journal focuses on clean, efficient, and low-carbon utilization of carbon-containing resources and has an impact factor of 6 (ranking 2nd in "Engineering, Chemical - ESCI" and 7th in "Energy & Fuels – ESCI").

The article focuses on making P-doped hard carbon from coffee grounds and H3PO4 to improve battery performance by adjusting the amount of phosphorus ions in the material. They discovered that using 2M H3PO4 as the doping agent led to excellent battery performance, with a capacity of 341 mAh per gram and an initial efficiency of 83%.

Professor Konarov notes that these findings significantly contribute to existing knowledge, offering insights into effective synthesis methods and the impact of doping agent concentration on electrochemical performance. The study's real-world implications are profound, with the potential application of P-doped hard carbon derived from food waste as an environmentally friendly anode material for sodium-ion batteries promising sustainable energy storage technologies.

The researchers believe their method of turning coffee grounds into high-capacity batteries will greatly advance sustainable energy storage. They hope to encourage more exploration and adoption of eco-friendly battery materials from food waste, promoting sustainable practices in energy storage technologies.