From industrial by-products to high-value materials: synthesizing sulfur-rich polymers for lithium–sulfur battery cathodes from the C5 fraction and sulfur

Abstract

The dispersion and waste of petroleum resources reduce resource utilization efficiency and exacerbate environmental pollution. Therefore, optimizing resource management and improving recycling efficiency are crucial. Developing organic polysulfides through inverse vulcanization represents a novel strategy for constructing sustainable and versatile materials and comprehensively utilizing petrochemical resources. This study employs inverse vulcanization with the C5 fraction, a by-product of the ethylene industry, to successfully polymerize with sulfur, resulting in a polymer material that exhibits good thermal stability and electrochemical activity. The chemical properties of the polymer were elucidated through a comprehensive array of analytical techniques, including Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and spherical aberration-corrected transmission electron microscopy (AC-TEM). As a cathode material for lithium–sulfur batteries, this polymer exhibited strong specific discharge capacity, cycling stability, and rate performance. In conclusion, these materials, derived from inexpensive and abundant by-products, provide valuable design principles for the efficient utilization of petrochemical resources.