Disclosed is a method for preparing a nano-porous carbon material, comprising the following steps of: mixing polypyrrole nano-fibers with an activator, conducting microwave heating for reaction, and purifying to obtain the nano-porous carbon material. Compared with a conventional high-temperature carbonization method, the method for preparing the nano-porous carbon material of the present disclosure is simple in raw material, convenient to operate, less in time consumption and more suitable for mass preparation and production of the nano-porous carbon materials.

Silicon particles for active materials and electro-chemical cells are provided. The active materials comprising silicon particles described herein can be utilized as an electrode material for a battery. In certain embodiments, the composite material includes greater than 0% and less than about 90% by weight of silicon particles. The silicon particles have an average particle size between about 0.1 μm and about 30 μm and a surface including nanometer-sized features. The composite material also includes greater than 0% and less than about 90% by weight of one or more types of carbon phases. At least one of the one or more types of carbon phases is a substantially continuous phase.

Silicon particles for active materials and electro-chemical cells are provided. The active materials comprising silicon particles described herein can be utilized as an electrode material for a battery. In certain embodiments, the composite material includes greater than 0% and less than about 90% by weight of silicon particles. The silicon particles have an average particle size between about 0.1 μm and about 30 μm and a surface including nanometer-sized features. The composite material also includes greater than 0% and less than about 90% by weight of one or more types of carbon phases. At least one of the one or more types of carbon phases is a substantially continuous phase.

Known processes for preparing a porous carbon material with a hierarchical porosity comprise the steps of a) providing at least one carbon source and at least one amphiphilic species, b) combining the carbon source and the amphiphilic species to obtain a precursor material, and c) heating the precursor material to obtain the porous carbon material having a modal pore size and a pore volume. In order to avoid a lengthy hydrothermal treatment and to allow tunability of the pore size, pore size distribution and pore volume in carbon material, it is proposed that the heating step c) comprises a low temperature treatment in which the precursor material is heated to a first temperature in the range between 300° C. and 600° C. to obtain a self-assembled porous carbonaceous material, and wherein heating to the first temperature comprises a first average heating rate in the range of 0.5° C./min to 5° C./min.

A method for producing carbon foam utilizing a particulate pore stabilizer is described. The method provides for an increase in the uniformity of the pore structure and distribution of pores throughout the carbon foam, as well as an increase in volume of the resultant carbon foam. A pore stabilized carbon foam prepared by the method is also described.

A composition of matter having the following chemical structure:

[00001]$\left[\frac{H_x{O}_{\left(x-1\right)}}{2}\right]Z_y$ wherein x is and odd integer ≥3; y is an integer between 1 and 20; and Z is one of a monoatomic ion from Groups 14 through 17 having a charge value between −1 and −3 or a polyatomic ion having a charge between −1 and −3.

A composition of matter having the following chemical structure:

[00001]$\left[\frac{H_x{O}_{\left(x-1\right)}}{2}\right]Z_y$ wherein x is and odd integer ≥3; y is an integer between 1 and 20; and Z is one of a monoatomic ion from Groups 14 through 17 having a charge value between −1 and −3 or a polyatomic ion having a charge between −1 and −3.

A porous carbon structure, a method for preparing the same, and a battery comprising the same are provided. The porous carbon structure has a core-shell structure including a core and a shell, the core comprising a first metal organic framework (MOF), and the shell comprising a second MOF, and the first MOF and the second MOF have different component elements and pore structure from each other. The porous carbon structure, when applied as a sulfur carrier, prevents leaching of polysulfide generated at a positive electrode into an electrolyte solution, and thereby improving performance and lifetime characteristics of a battery using sulfur as a positive electrode active material.

A porous carbon material including a porous carbon material having a specific resistance value of 30 Ωcm or less at a packing density of 0.3 g/cc, wherein a mesopore volume (cm.sup.3/g) of the porous carbon material as measured by the BJH method is 0.5 cm.sup.3/g or greater.

The present invention provides carbon-coated lithium metal phosphate which is doped with aluminium such that the aluminium content is between 300 and 5000 ppm and which has a BET surface area of less than or equal to 15 m2/g. The carbon-coated lithium metal phosphate finds use as a cathode active material and provides improved electrochemical performance at low temperatures.