Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Materials for Lithium-Ion Battery Anodes

Nitrogen-doped carbon materials represent a versatile class of anode candidates for next-generation lithium-ion batteries. By introducing nitrogen atoms into carbon matrices, researchers enhance electronic conductivity, create additional active sites for lithium storage and tailor interlayer spacing to facilitate ion transport. Various allotropes—graphene, carbon nanotubes, hollow carbons derived from metal–organic frameworks and graphitic carbon nitride—have been modified with pyridinic, pyrrolic and graphitic nitrogen species. Such modifications improve reversible capacity, rate performance and cycling stability compared with undoped graphite, while reducing the formation of resistive surface films. Hollow or mesoporous architectures combine high surface area with short diffusion paths, enabling fast charging. Recent advances have also shown that controlling the ratio of nitrogen species and combining heteroatom co-dopants such as boron can strike an optimal balance between initial Coulombic efficiency and long-term capacity retention. Together, these developments underscore the global significance of nitrogen-doped carbons in high-energy-density and high-power applications, from portable electronics to electric vehicles.

Research from Nature Portfolio

High-quality mesoporous graphene particles synthesised via chemical vapour deposition and magnesium-oxide templating have demonstrated exceptional lithium storage properties. Nitrogen incorporation within a three-dimensional graphene network yields electrodes with reversible capacities exceeding 1,100 mAh g−1 at moderate rates and stable retention above 99% over hundreds of cycles. The mesoporous architecture supports thick electrodes with high areal capacity, combining high energy and power performance in a single material.

Nitrogen and boron co-doped carbon layers coated onto multi-walled carbon nanotubes have achieved ultra-long cycling life and outstanding rate capability. Synergistic coupling of doped heteroatoms and the tubular scaffold yields abundant active sites, reduced lithium diffusion length and robust structural integrity. The resulting electrodes maintain high capacity over thousands of cycles even at current densities above 60 A g−1, highlighting the promise of heteroatom-engineered nanotube architectures for fast-charging applications.

Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Materials for Lithium-Ion Battery Anodes publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in nitrogen-doped carbon materials for lithium-ion battery anodes across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Nitrogen doping: Introduction of nitrogen atoms into a carbon framework to modify its electronic, structural and chemical properties.

Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4): A polymeric compound with layered graphitic structure rich in nitrogen sites, used as a precursor for N-doped carbons.

Mesoporous structure: A material architecture characterised by pores with diameters between 2 and 50 nm, providing high surface area and rapid ion transport.

Reversible capacity: The amount of lithium that can be inserted and removed from an electrode material per unit mass, expressed in mAh g−1.

Coulombic efficiency: Ratio of the charge extracted during discharge to the charge supplied during charge in a single cycle, indicating reversibility of lithium storage.

Solid electrolyte interphase (SEI): A passivating layer formed on the anode surface during initial cycles, affecting stability and Coulombic efficiency.

References

1. High-quality mesoporous graphene particles as high-energy and fast-charging anodes for lithium-ion batteries. Nature Communications (2019).
2. Nitrogen and boron doped carbon layer coated multiwall carbon nanotubes as high performance anode materials for lithium ion batteries. Scientific Reports (2021).
3. Carbon/C3N4 heterostructures constructed from lignin toward enhanced lithium-ion storage. Carbon Research (2024).
4. Enhanced Electrochemical Performances of Hollow-Structured N-Doped Carbon Derived from a Zeolitic Imidazole Framework (ZIF-8) Coated by Polydopamine as an Anode for Lithium-Ion Batteries. Energies (2021).
5. Highly N‐doped carbon with low graphitic‐N content as anode material for enhanced initial Coulombic efficiency of lithium‐ion batteries. Carbon Energy (2022).