TY - JOUR
T1 - Towards highly stable lithium sulfur batteries
T2 - Surface functionalization of carbon nanotube scaffold
AU - Kim, Patrick Joo Hyun
AU - Kim, Kyungho
AU - Pol, Vilas G.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2018 Elsevier Ltd
PY - 2018/5
Y1 - 2018/5
N2 - In order to alleviate the systemic challenges underlying in Lithium sulfur (Li-S) batteries, the surface of non-polar carbon materials have been widely modified with functional polymeric materials and metal-oxide compounds to chemically interact with polysulfides and thus improve the cycle performance of sulfur cathodes. However, the inherent low conductivity and long-term instability of functional polymers and ceramic materials impede the efficient electrochemical reactions and, in the end, deteriorate the electrochemical performances of Li-S batteries. In this study, we demonstrated a facile and effective approach to customize the surface characteristics of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) via thermal treatments under different atmospheres (oxygen and hydrogen) and exploit these properties for sulfur reservoirs and interlayer barrier in order to enhance the electrochemical performances of Li-S batteries. With the aid of different characteristics of modified CNTs, electrochemical performances of sulfur cathodes were effectively optimized in terms of specific capacity and cycling performance. In addition, when interlayers were coupled with general sulfur cathodes with high sulfur loading mass (2.5 mg cm−1), it also showed analogous trends in improving the specific capacity and cycle performance (250 cycles).
AB - In order to alleviate the systemic challenges underlying in Lithium sulfur (Li-S) batteries, the surface of non-polar carbon materials have been widely modified with functional polymeric materials and metal-oxide compounds to chemically interact with polysulfides and thus improve the cycle performance of sulfur cathodes. However, the inherent low conductivity and long-term instability of functional polymers and ceramic materials impede the efficient electrochemical reactions and, in the end, deteriorate the electrochemical performances of Li-S batteries. In this study, we demonstrated a facile and effective approach to customize the surface characteristics of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) via thermal treatments under different atmospheres (oxygen and hydrogen) and exploit these properties for sulfur reservoirs and interlayer barrier in order to enhance the electrochemical performances of Li-S batteries. With the aid of different characteristics of modified CNTs, electrochemical performances of sulfur cathodes were effectively optimized in terms of specific capacity and cycling performance. In addition, when interlayers were coupled with general sulfur cathodes with high sulfur loading mass (2.5 mg cm−1), it also showed analogous trends in improving the specific capacity and cycle performance (250 cycles).
KW - Carbon scaffold
KW - Electrostatic repulsion
KW - Functionalization
KW - Lithium-sulfur battery
KW - Surface modification
KW - Zeta potential
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85041749955&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.carbon.2018.01.100
DO - 10.1016/j.carbon.2018.01.100
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85041749955
SN - 0008-6223
VL - 131
SP - 175
EP - 183
JO - Carbon
JF - Carbon
ER -