7Li NMR and ESR analysis of lithium storage in a high-capacity perylene-based disordered carbon

The lithium storage mechanism of perylene-based disordered carbon (PBDC) heat-treated at 550 °C, which is a promising material for use as the anode in lithium-ion cells, was studied by solid-state 7Li NMR and ESR analysis. PBDC is one of carbonaceous materials containing condensed aromatic rings, and showed a high reversible specific capacity of about 800 mAh/g with large hysteresis in the charge/discharge profile. 7Li NMR spectra for the lithiated PBDCs exhibited two bands at the insertion of above 900 mAh/g. Band A at 7 ppm and band B at 0.3 ppm versus LiCl were assigned to lithium in reversible and irreversible storage sites, respectively. The results of 7Li NMR analysis supported the presence of ionic lithium located on aromatic rings. ESR spectra for PBDC lithiated by over 300 mAh/g showed sharp and broad signals. The intensity of the broad signal varied significantly with lithium insertion. The variations of 7Li NMR and ESR spectra with lithium insertion were interpreted by the presence of two kinds of insertion sites: the layer structure site (L-site) and the unorganized carbon site (U-site) located between the L-sites.