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Abstract Increasing the specific capacity and cycle life of graphitic carbon anodes is crucial for realizing high-performance lithium ion batteries. Herein, we introduce a new class of graphitic carbon anodes comprising highly ordered three-dimensional nanostructures decorated with SnO 2 nanoparticles. The inch-scale, nanostructured graphitic carbon matrices are prepared by supported pyrolysis of epoxy templates patterned by advanced optical lithography. During the subsequent decoration process, the SnO 2 nanoparticles are densely formed on the matrix without agglomeration since the periodic nanostructured matrix provides a homogeneous site for nucleation and growth. The surface coverage of the decorated SnO 2 nanoparticles and the mass relative to the graphitic carbon are >80% and ∼50 wt%, respectively. The resulting nanostructured C/SnO 2 composite monoliths can be assembled solely into LIB coin cells without the aid of binders and conducting agents. The achieved specific capacity and retention are 692 mAh g−1 and 87.31% (at 70th cycle), respectively, which is superior to those of nanostructured carbon anodes prepared in a similar way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Novel top-down synthesis of CNS from aronia fruit powder by carbonization. • Temperature-independent synthesis of CNS. • Gas atmosphere-independent synthesis of CNS. • CNS exhibits high-rate cyclability for Li+ and K+ ion storage. • Structural integrity was well maintained even after cycling for Li+ and K+. Carbon nanosheets (CNSs) have been used in various applications, ranging from energy storage to drug delivery. CNSs are conventionally synthesized by chemical vapor deposition, but their high cost and non-scalability prompted the development of alternative synthesis routes. More scalable methods such as the sol-gel process still suffer from its complicated synthetic steps with delicate conditions. Here, we demonstrate for the first time a unique top-down synthesis of CNSs from aronia fruit powder, which is simple, scalable, and cost-effective. Aronia-derived CNS can be fabricated at various heating temperatures (500, 700, and 900 °C) and under different atmospheres (N 2 /H 2 and NH 3), which can easily tune the overall physicochemical properties of the CNS. We evaluated the electrochemical performance of the CNS for potential applications in Li- and K-ion batteries, in which the CNS showed stable electrochemical performance even at a high current density (1000 mA g−1). Because of the high-throughput nature of this synthetic approach, the aronia-derived CNSs could be very useful in developing novel applications at an industrial scale. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]