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Design Principles for Optimum Performance of Porous Carbons in Lithium-Sulfur Batteries

Journal Article · · Advanced Energy Materials
 [1];  [2];  [1];  [2];  [3];  [1]
  1. Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY (United States). Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering
  2. Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY (United States). School of Applied and Engineering Physics; Kavli Inst. at Cornell for Nanoscale Science, Ithaca NY (United States)
  3. Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY (United States). Dept. of Chemistry and Chemical Biology
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Here, a series of experiments is presented that establishes for the first time the role of some of the key design parameters of porous carbons including surface area, pore volume, and pore size on battery performance. A series of hierarchical porous carbons is used as a model system with an open, 3D, interconnected porous framework and highly controlled porosity. Specifically, carbons with surface areas ranging from ≈500–2800 m2 g-1, pore volume from ≈0.6–5 cm3 g-1, and pore size from micropores (≈1 nm) to large mesopores (≈30 nm) are synthesized and tested. At high sulfur loadings (≈80 wt% S), pore volume is more important than surface area with respect to sulfur utilization. Mesopore size, in the range tested, does not affect the sulfur utilization. No relationship between porosity and long-term cycle life is observed. All systems fail after 200–300 cycles, which is likely due to the consumption of the LiNO3 additive over cycling. Moreover, cryo-scanning transmission electron microscopy imaging of these carbon–sulfur composites combined with X-ray diffraction (XRD) provides further insights into the effect of initial sulfur distribution on sulfur utilization while also revealing the inadequacy of the indirect characterization techniques alone in reliably predicting distribution of sulfur within porous carbon matrices.
Research Organization:
Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRC) (United States). Energy Materials Center at Cornell (EMC2)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES) (SC-22)
Grant/Contract Number:
SC0001086
OSTI ID:
1370416
Journal Information:
Advanced Energy Materials, Journal Name: Advanced Energy Materials Journal Issue: 14 Vol. 6; ISSN 1614-6832
Publisher:
WileyCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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A Polysulfide-Infiltrated Carbon Cloth Cathode for High-Performance Flexible Lithium–Sulfur Batteries journal February 2018
Polyimide-Coated Glass Microfiber as Polysulfide Perm-Selective Separator for High-Performance Lithium-Sulphur Batteries journal November 2019
Lithium-Sulfur Battery Cable Made from Ultralight, Flexible Graphene/Carbon Nanotube/Sulfur Composite Fibers journal December 2016
A Comprehensive Understanding of Lithium–Sulfur Battery Technology journal June 2019
Approaching Ultrastable High‐Rate Li–S Batteries through Hierarchically Porous Titanium Nitride Synthesized by Multiscale Phase Separation journal September 2018
Popcorn Inspired Porous Macrocellular Carbon: Rapid Puffing Fabrication from Rice and Its Applications in Lithium-Sulfur Batteries journal September 2017
Hierarchical Porous N‐Doped Carbon Nanosheets Obtained by Organic–Inorganic Bipolymeric Engineering for Improved Lithium–Sulfur Batteries journal February 2019
A Robust, Water-Based, Functional Binder Framework for High-Energy Lithium-Sulfur Batteries journal June 2017
Polar and Nonpolar Matrix Consisting of Twined Multiwalled Carbon Nanotube and High Nitrogen‐Doped Porous Carbon Derived from Ionic Liquid for Stable Li‐S Battery journal May 2019
Multi‐functional TiO 2 nanosheets/carbon nanotubes modified separator enhanced cycling performance for lithium‐sulfur batteries journal December 2019
A Highly Conductive MOF of Graphene Analogue Ni 3 (HITP) 2 as a Sulfur Host for High‐Performance Lithium–Sulfur Batteries journal September 2019
Rational design of graphene @ nitrogen and phosphorous dual-doped porous carbon sandwich-type layer for advanced lithium–sulfur batteries journal March 2017
Mangosteen peel-derived porous carbon: synthesis and its application in the sulfur cathode for lithium sulfur battery journal April 2018
Characterization of Sulfur and Nanostructured Sulfur Battery Cathodes in Electron Microscopy Without Sublimation Artifacts journal February 2017
In situ-grown compressed NiCo2S4 barrier layer for efficient and durable polysulfide entrapment journal October 2019
Cathode materials for lithium–sulfur batteries: a practical perspective journal January 2017
Do imaging techniques add real value to the development of better post-Li-ion batteries? journal January 2018
Electrocatalysis of polysulfide conversion by conductive RuO 2 nano dots for lithium–sulfur batteries journal January 2018
Metal oxide nanoprism-arrays assembled in N-doped carbon foamy nanoplates that have efficient polysulfide-retention for ultralong-cycle-life lithium–sulfur batteries journal January 2018
Reduced graphene oxide/TiO 2 (B) nanocomposite-modified separator as an efficient inhibitor of polysulfide shuttling in Li–S batteries journal January 2020
A simple and general approach for in situ synthesis of sulfur–porous carbon composites for lithium–sulfur batteries journal January 2019
Sulfur encapsulation by MOF-derived CoS 2 embedded in carbon hosts for high-performance Li–S batteries journal January 2019
Rational design of polar/nonpolar mediators toward efficient sulfur fixation and enhanced conductivity journal January 2020
Porous Fe 3 O 4 Nanospheres as Effective Sulfur Hosts for Li-S Batteries journal January 2018
Understanding the Impact of a Nonafluorinated Ether-Based Electrolyte on Li-S Battery journal January 2019

Figures / Tables (7)

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Table 1(p. 31)table Table 1

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Related Subjects

25 ENERGY STORAGE
42 ENGINEERING
cryo‐scanning TEM
hierarchical porous carbons
high sulfur loading
lithium–sulfur batteries
porosity dependence