A novel design approach for lithium-sulphur batteries

A novel microwave synthesis path for sulphur-carbon compounds for lithium batteries was successfully developed. Model electrodes built from these materials showed an excellent and highly stable electrochemical performance over several hundred of cycles with a remarkable initial specific charge of about 1300 A h kg(-1) and a remaining specific charge of 1012 A h kg(-1) (at 1 C) after about 500 cycles. In addition, a silicon-containing anode setup was used to investigate the highly beneficial influence of silicon nanowires on the electrochemical properties of lithium-sulphur batteries.