Issue 20, 2022

Geometrical engineering of a SPAN–graphene composite cathode for practical Li–S batteries

Abstract

The realization of practical lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries is contingent on the development of innovative electrode designs having high energy, high power and a long lifespan. Herein, we propose a compact, high-performance, 2D sulfurized-polyacrylonitrile/graphene (2D-SPAN/G) cathode for practical Li–S batteries. A 2D-SPAN/G cathode with a high active-mass (sulfur) loading of 10 mg cm−2 is successfully prepared via high-pressure pelletization. In the 2D-SPAN/G cathode, graphene nanosheets function as a robust and conductive scaffold, which uniformly encapsulates SPAN nanoparticles, providing structural integrity and enabling the high electrochemical utilization of sulfur. The combination of the stabilized lithium metal anode, a modified electrolyte (consisting of 1 M LiPF6 and 0.05 M LiDFOB in EMC : FEC (3 : 1 (v/v))) and a 2D-SPAN/G cathode delivers a high areal capacity of 11 mA h cm−2 and demonstrates outstanding cycling stability over 300 cycles at a high current density of 4 mA cm−2. Moreover, the excellent electrochemical performance of a scaled-up, pouch-type Li–S battery featuring a 2D-SPAN/G cathode demonstrates the viability of the proposed cathode. The reversibility of the Li+-ion storage mechanism of the 2D-SPAN/G cathode is confirmed using operando Raman spectroscopy.

Graphical abstract: Geometrical engineering of a SPAN–graphene composite cathode for practical Li–S batteries

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
21 Feb 2022
Accepted
12 Apr 2022
First published
12 Apr 2022

J. Mater. Chem. A, 2022,10, 10844-10853

Geometrical engineering of a SPAN–graphene composite cathode for practical Li–S batteries

H. Kim, J. Hwang, S. Bang, H. Jung and Y. Sun, J. Mater. Chem. A, 2022, 10, 10844 DOI: 10.1039/D2TA01398C

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