Binder-free, freestanding cathodes fabricated with an ultra-rapid diffusion of sulfur into carbon nanofiber mat for lithium-sulfur batteries

被引:39
作者
Dillard, Caitlin [1 ]
Chung, Sheng-Heng [2 ,3 ]
Singh, Arvinder [1 ]
Manthiram, Arumugam [2 ,3 ]
Kalra, Vibha [1 ]
机构
[1] Drexel Univ, Dept Chem & Biol Engn, 3141 Chestnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA
[2] Univ Texas Austin, Mat Sci & Engn Program, Austin, TX 78712 USA
[3] Univ Texas Austin, Texas Mat Inst, Austin, TX 78712 USA
基金
美国国家科学基金会;
关键词
Lithium-sulfur batteries; Sulfur deposition; Electrospinning; Freestanding; Binder-free; IMMOBILIZED SULFUR; STABLE CATHODE; POROUS CARBON; GRAPHENE; COMPOSITE; PERFORMANCE; PAPER; POLYACRYLONITRILE; DISCHARGE; NANOTUBES;
D O I
10.1016/j.mtener.2018.06.004
中图分类号
O64 [物理化学(理论化学)、化学物理学];
学科分类号
070304 ; 081704 ;
摘要
A rapid (5-s) sulfur deposition technique is demonstrated on electrospun carbon nanofibers to fabricate binder-free, freestanding cathodes for lithium-sulfur batteries. The 5-second procedure melts sulfur into carbon nanofiber mats, which play a significant role as a built-in conductive matrix to provide uninterrupted electron transport pathways throughout the electrode such that the heavy current collector is eliminated. Meanwhile, the large inter-fiber spacing facilitates electrolyte diffusion and provides sufficient space for sulfur integration during cathode fabrication and the volume expansion during lithium-sulfur redox reaction. This technique eliminates the need for slurry processing with insulating binders and toxic solvents while eliminating heavy current collectors. This ultra-rapid technique involving only 140 degrees C, 5 s, and slight pressure (<250 psi) offers a practical approach to light-weight sulfur cathodes compared to the conventional sulfur melt deposition techniques requiring high temperatures (155-300 degrees C), long times (8-10 h), and heavy components in the cell assembly. The cathodes thus obtained deliver a discharge capacity of similar to 550 mAh g(sulfur)(-1) owing to their simple construction, with 100% capacity retention at 0.5C rate over 150 cycles. This translates to similar to 250 mA h g(electrode)(-1) (based on total mass at the cathode) which is comparable to highly sophisticated electrodes when the weight of the entire electrode and current collector is considered. (C) 2018 Published by Elsevier Ltd.
引用
收藏
页码:336 / 344
页数:9
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