A novel sulfur-impregnated porous carbon matrix as a cathode material for a lithium–sulfur battery

Abstract

A novel sulfur-impregnated porous carbon matrix (PCM-Z-S) has been prepared as a cathode material for a lithium–sulfur battery. The porous carbon matrix (PCM-Z), which was obtained using de-waxed cotton and ZnCl₂ as an activator, has a surface area of 1056 m² g⁻¹ and a pore volume of 1.75 cm³ g⁻¹. The PCM-Z was mixed with sublimed sulfur and then heated in nitrogen gas to form a carbon–sulfur 58 wt% composite (PCM-Z-S) which has excellent electrochemical proprieties. The PCM-Z-S delivers a capacity of 850 mA h g⁻¹ at 1C and retains 630 mA h g⁻¹ after nearly 200 cycles which are values much higher than that of a carbon matrix prepared without ZnCl₂. These results show the sulfur-impregnated porous carbon matrix (PCM-Z-S) has great potential as a cathode material in a lithium–sulfur battery.