A Graphene–Pure‐Sulfur Sandwich Structure for Ultrafast, Long‐Life Lithium–Sulfur Batteries

Zhou, Guangmin; Pei, Songfeng; Li, Lü; Wang, Dawei; Wang, Shaogang; Huang, Kun; Yin, Lichang; Li, Feng; Cheng, Hui‐Ming

doi:10.1002/adma.201302877

Cited by 936 publications

(608 citation statements)

References 50 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

597

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…The higher U 1 and U 2 values in the GQDs-S/CB electrode confirm that the GQDs increase the electrical conductivity of the material as well as provide an electrochemically efficient structure, whereby overpotentials that are required to initiate the dissolution (U 1 ) and precipitation (U 2 ) reactions are decreased. It should be noted that the tendencies observed for U 1 and U 2 are similar because these values are related to the overpotential in the reduction of S 8 and HOPSs, respectively. In contrast, different behaviors were observed for Q 1 and Q 2 , particularly under the highest current density, as shown in Figure 3g.…”

Section: Electrochemical Tests For Li-s Batteriesmentioning

confidence: 82%

“…The discharge profile in Figure 3a illustrates a schematic model of possible reaction pathways that occur in a conventional Li-S battery. In the upper plateau region at~2.3 V, elemental sulfur, S 8 , is gradually reduced to the soluble sulfide anion (S 8 2 − ). Then, S 8 2 − is continuously reduced to S n 2 − (n = 6 and 4).…”

Section: Electrochemical Tests For Li-s Batteriesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…3 To overcome this issue, various carbonaceous materials have been integrated into the sulfur cathode matrix to take advantage of their high electronic conductivity as well as their physicochemical properties to prevent HOPS dissolution into the electrolyte. [7][8][9][10][11] Among many carbonaceous materials, graphene oxide-sulfur composites have been intensively reported as a novel material for preventing the loss of HOPSs through the adsorption and wrapping properties of graphene oxide. [12][13][14][15][16] Despite significantly enhancing the electrochemical stability, these systems can be further improved by exhibiting better structural integrity.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Graphene quantum dots: structural integrity and oxygen functional groups for high sulfur/sulfide utilization in lithium sulfur batteries

et al. 2016

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries are expected to overcome the limit of current energy storage devices by delivering high specific energy with low material cost. However, the potential of Li-S batteries has not yet been realized because of several technical barriers. Poor electrochemical performance is mainly attributed to the low electrical conductivity of the fully charged and discharged species, the irreversible loss of polysulfide anions and the decrease in the number of electrochemically active reaction sites during battery operation. Here, we report that the introduction of graphene quantum dots (GQDs) into the sulfur cathode dramatically enhanced sulfur/sulfide utilization, yielding high performance. In addition, the GQDs induced structural integrity of the sulfur-carbon electrode composite by oxygen-rich functional groups. This hierarchical architecture enabled fast charge transfer while minimizing the loss of lithium polysulfides, which is attributed to the physicochemical properties of GQDs. The mechanisms through which excellent cycling and rate performance are achieved were thoroughly studied by analyzing capacity versus voltage profiles. Furthermore, experimental observations and theoretical calculations further clarified the role played by GQDs by proving that C-S bonding occurs. Thus, the introduction of GQDs into Li-S batteries will provide an important breakthrough allowing their use as high-performance and low-cost batteries for next-generation energy storage systems. INTRODUCTIONRechargeable lithium-ion batteries are widely used in various applications, such as portable devices, bio-medical implants and electric vehicles, because of their high energy and power density. 1,2 However, current lithium-ion batteries based on the graphite and transition metal oxide couple have nearly reached their ceiling with respect to storage capability because of the limitations associated with their electrical properties and crystal structure. Therefore, breakthroughs in new energy storage systems that can surpass the current performance barrier of lithium-ion batteries should be brought about in a timely manner. Recently, Li-S batteries that can operate by the reversible electrochemical transformation between sulfur (S 8 ) and dilithium sulfide (Li 2 S) have attracted great attention because they can deliver high energy with a moderate voltage owing to the direct use of

show abstract

Section: Electrochemical Tests For Li-s Batteriesmentioning

confidence: 82%

Section: Electrochemical Tests For Li-s Batteriesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Graphene quantum dots: structural integrity and oxygen functional groups for high sulfur/sulfide utilization in lithium sulfur batteries

et al. 2016

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Compared to Li‐ion batteries,11, 12, 13, 14, 15 rechargeable lithium‐sulfur (Li‐S) batteries exhibit clear advantages such as a theoretical energy density of 2570 Wh kg −1 (three to five times higher than the state‐of‐the‐art Li‐ion batteries) as well as the cost effectiveness and environmental benignity of sulfur 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21. However, due to the insulating nature of S, as well as the notorious shuttling effect of intermediate lithium polysulfides (Li 2 S x , x > 3), Li‐S batteries are still yet to be commercialized 22, 23, 24.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

In Situ Formed Protective Barrier Enabled by Sulfur@Titanium Carbide (MXene) Ink for Achieving High‐Capacity, Long Lifetime Li‐S Batteries

et al. 2018

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Sulfur (S) is an attractive cathode material with advantages including high theoretical capacity and low cost. However, issues such as the lithium polysulfide shuttle effect and its insulating properties greatly limit the future applications of lithium‐sulfur (Li‐S) batteries. Here, a viscous aqueous ink with nanoscale S uniformly decorated on the polar, metallically conductive titanium carbide MXene nanosheets (S@Ti3C2Tx) is reported to address these issues. Importantly, it is observed that the conductive Ti3C2Tx mediator efficiently chemisorbs the soluble polysulfides and converts them into thiosulfate/sulfate. The in situ formed sulfate complex layer acts as a thick protective barrier, which significantly retards the shuttling of polysulfides upon cycling and improves the sulfur utilization. Consequently, the binder‐free, robust, highly electrically conductive composite film exhibits outstanding electrochemical performance, including high capacities (1244–1350 mAh g‐1), excellent rate handling, and impressive cycling stability (0.035–0.048% capacity loss per cycle), surpassing the best MXene‐S batteries known. The fabrication of a pouch cell based on the freestanding S@Ti3C2Tx film is also reported. The prototype device showcases high capacities and excellent mechanical flexibility. Considering the broad family of MXenes and their unique roles in immobilizing the polysulfides, various S@MXene composites can be similarly fabricated with promising Li+ storage capability and long lifetime performance.

show abstract

“…Previously published works on sulfur-carbon cathode material, where the sulfur was loaded either by melt diffusion or wet chemical precipitation [17][18][19][20][21], managed to achieve better specific capacity with allowable capacity fading, however, the synthesis methods that were adopted are complicated and laboratory oriented. To commercialize lithium sulfur batteries, it is important to develop a large-scale fabrication method for the production of S-C composites.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A systematic approach to high and stable discharge capacity for scaling up the lithium–sulfur battery

Kaiser

Wang

Liang

et al. 2015

Journal of Power Sources

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Dou, S. (2015). A systematic approach to high and stable discharge capacity for scaling up the lithium-sulfur battery. Journal of Power Sources, 279 231-237. Journal of Power Sources A systematic approach to high and stable discharge capacity for scaling up the lithium-sulfur battery AbstractA systematic approach to improving the performance of the Li-S battery is presented, based on applying high energy ball milling to create a porous sulfur-carbon composite, insertion of a free-standing layer, and adoption of a new charging method. Surface area analysis and field emission scanning electron microscope imaging show that the ball-milled sulfur powder has a porous structure and very high specific surface area. A vacuumfiltrated single-walled carbon nanotube free-standing layer is inserted in between the sulfur cathode and the separator. It is believed that high-surface-area porous sulfur will help to increase the conductivity of the elemental sulfur due to better adhesion between the conducting carbon and the sulfur, while the free-standing layer will sequester longer chain polysulfides, which are responsible for the well-known shuttling phenomenon. By the combination of these methods, we have achieved excellent capacity and cycle life. Finally, a new charging method which will largely prevent the formation of longer chain polysulfides is also applied to increase the capacity retention. It is believed that with the combination of ball milling, the freestanding layer, and the new charging method, it is possible to commercialize the Li-S battery with better capacity and cycle life. Disciplines Engineering | Science and Technology Studies Publication DetailsKaiser, M. Rejaul., Wang, J., Liang, X., Liu, H. & Dou, S. (2015). A systematic approach to high and stable discharge capacity for scaling up the lithium-sulfur battery. AbstractA systematic approach to improving the performance of the Li-S battery is presented, based on applying high energy ball milling to create a porous sulfur-carbon composite, insertion of a free-standing layer, and adoption of a new charging method. Surface area analysis and field emission scanning electron microscope imaging show that the ball-milled sulfur powder has a porous structure and very high specific surface area. A vacuum-filtrated single-walled carbon nanotube free-standing layer is inserted in between the sulfur cathode and the separator. It is believed that high-surface-area porous sulfur will help to increase the conductivity of the elemental sulfur due to better adhesion between the conducting carbon and the sulfur, while the free-standing layer will sequester longer chain polysulfides, which are responsible for the well-known shuttling phenomenon. By the combination of these methods, we have achieved excellent capacity and cycle life. Finally, a new charging method which will largely prevent the formation of longer chain polysulfides is also applied to increase the capacity retention. It is believed that with the combination of ball milling, the free-standing layer, and the...

show abstract

A Graphene–Pure‐Sulfur Sandwich Structure for Ultrafast, Long‐Life Lithium–Sulfur Batteries

Abstract: A unique sandwich structure is designed with pure sulfur between two graphene membranes, which are continuously produced over a large area, as a very simple but effective approach for the fabrication of Li–S batteries with ultrafast charge/discharge rates and long lifetimes.

Cited by 936 publications

References 50 publications

Graphene quantum dots: structural integrity and oxygen functional groups for high sulfur/sulfide utilization in lithium sulfur batteries

Graphene quantum dots: structural integrity and oxygen functional groups for high sulfur/sulfide utilization in lithium sulfur batteries

In Situ Formed Protective Barrier Enabled by Sulfur@Titanium Carbide (MXene) Ink for Achieving High‐Capacity, Long Lifetime Li‐S Batteries

A systematic approach to high and stable discharge capacity for scaling up the lithium–sulfur battery

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About