Operando SAXS/WAXS studies of waste derived hard carbon anodes for sodium ion batteries

We will use SAXS and WAXS to study the particle size, porosity and atomic structure of hard carbon (HC) from various sources under working conditions in sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). HC is one of the most promising anodes for SIBs and can be produced by the pyrolysis of several inexpensive organic by-products. Surprisingly, the electrochemical performance of the HC is very dependent on the feedstock used to produce it. This experiment will help us to understand the differences between HC prepared from different feedstocks and the extent to which they are linked to porosity and structure.