The global annual energy storage demand is expected to increase from 200 GWh to 10 000 GWh in 20 years period due to the electrification of societies.   In addition, solutions are needed to fight against climate change in the areas of e.g. electric vehicles, wind- and solar energy parks and consumer electronics. Fortunately, diverse technologies for energy storage are available, but complex sustainability and environmental challenges related to the highly polluting and energy-intensive mining of raw critical materials such as Li, Pt and natural graphite remain unsolved. Renewable materials (bio-based and recycled) can provide novel chemistries and meet different end-application needs, both in battery and advanced supercapacitor devices. In this paper, we will discuss the potential of lignin-based hard and activated carbons for batteries and supercapacitor applications. We will present recent results on the thermal processing of different lignin grades into high performance carbon materials and discuss the dependence of their multiscale properties and electrochemical performance on the lignin grade. Very promising electrochemical performance was achieved in working anode material, especially in supercapacitors. In Li-batteries, replacing graphite with bio-based hard carbon shows promising first results, but still requires additional optimization work to improve the electrochemical performance.  However, in novel chemistries as of Na-ion batteries, lignin-based hard carbons turn to be particularly suitable due to their turbostratic nanostructure which can better accommodate the Na ions. In this perspective, we will also discuss how crucial is the understanding of structure-properties-performance relationships in lignin carbon materials engineering to develop novel advanced energy storage devices with different end-use requirements.  Finally, we will also show new results on the development of biomass-based binders that can replace toxic halogenated commercial binders to enable a truly sustainable future of energy storage devices. Although cellulose-based separators are already in use, it is possible to further improve their performance via chemical functionalization and to use them in combination with more sustainable electrolytes.

The high potential of renewable materials in sustainable energy storage devices

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ACS Spring 2023

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