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 design having high-energy, high-power and long-lifespan. Herein, we propose a compact, high-performance, 2D sulfurized-polyacrylonitrile/graphene (2D-SPAN/G)...

Two birds with one stone: engineering siloxane-based electrolytes for high-performance lithium–sulfur polyacrylonitrile batteries

“…Recently, sulfurized polyacrylonitrile (SPAN) has attracted intense interest as an attractive sulfur cathode owing to its high electronic conductivity, facile scaling-up preparation, and low production cost. 29,30 It is widely accepted that the active sulfur in SPAN is atomically dispersed and covalently bonded to the skeleton of pyrolyzed PAN chains. 31 As a result, Li‖SPAN full cells delivered remarkable cyclic stability with impressive CEs close to 100% in conventional carbonate electrolytes due to the solid-solid conversion mechanism with negligible polysulde dissolution.…”

Strategy for High-Energy Li–S Battery Coupling with a Li Metal Anode and a Sulfurized Polyacrylonitrile Cathode

“…The challenges of Li–S batteries with SPAN cathodes are situated on their counter electrodes, though, as they employ metallic lithium as the anode to maximize their energy potential (up to 2600 Wh kg –1 ). − Lithium metal anode (LMA) suffers from nonuniform deposition of lithium, uncontrollable volume changes, and surface corrosion that results in both active Li and electrolyte consumption, followed by a rapid decay in cyclability. − Coupled with dendritic growth, which can cause short circuiting, LMA also poses a severe safety concern. These properties are accentuated by a high areal capacity, current density, lean electrolyte, and limited excess Li, which are prerequisites for a realistic Li–SPAN battery system. − Therefore, electrolyte designs using ether- and carbonate-based electrolytes to fabricate a robust solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer as a protective and ionically conductive film has become the preferred approach for addressing the challenges of LMA utilization. , Of the two electrolyte types, ether-based electrolytes, such as 1,3–Dimethoxyethane/1,2–Dioxolane (DME/DOL), are the most common electrolytes used in Li–S batteries, owing to their high Coulombic efficiencies (CEs; approximately 98%), smooth Li deposition, and stable SEI formation. ,, However, ether electrolytes revert to the problematic polysulfide chemistry and exhibit low vapor pressures. ,,,, Coupled with their near-indispensable use of the LiNO 3 salt, the use of ether electrolytes is risky for large-scale operations.…”

Safety of lithium battery materials chemistry

“…The pursuit of batteries with higher energy and power density through innovations in materials chemistry still persists. 1,2 However, the high energy density always accompanies low safety, which threatens the lives and properties of human beings; thus, several promising electrochemical technologies cannot be commercialized, wasting the efforts of many researchers. Safety is the highest priority for a battery with a new electrochemical system before its wide applications.…”