Graphene-wrapped sulfur/metal organic framework-derived microporous carbon composite for lithium sulfur batteries

Journal Article · Mon Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 2014 · APL materials

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4901751· OSTI ID:22415228

Chen, Renjie; Zhao, Teng ^[1]; Tian, Tian; Fairen-Jimenez, David ^[2]; Cao, Shuai; Coxon, Paul R.; Xi, Kai; Vasant Kumar, R.; Cheetham, Anthony K. ^[3]

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1. Beijing Key Laboratory of Environmental Science and Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering and Environment, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081 (China)
2. Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Pembroke Street, Cambridge CB2 3RA (United Kingdom)
3. Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0FS (United Kingdom)

A three-dimensional hierarchical sandwich-type graphene sheet-sulfur/carbon (GS-S/C{sub ZIF8-D}) composite for use in a cathode for a lithium sulfur (Li-S) battery has been prepared by an ultrasonic method. The microporous carbon host was prepared by a one-step pyrolysis of Zeolitic Imidazolate Framework-8 (ZIF-8), a typical zinc-containing metal organic framework (MOF), which offers a tunable porous structure into which electro-active sulfur can be diffused. The thin graphene sheet, wrapped around the sulfur/zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 derived carbon (S/C{sub ZIF8-D}) composite, has excellent electrical conductivity and mechanical flexibility, thus facilitating rapid electron transport and accommodating the changes in volume of the sulfur electrode. Compared with the S/C{sub ZIF8-D} sample, Li-S batteries with the GS-S/C{sub ZIF8-D} composite cathode showed enhanced capacity, improved electrochemical stability, and relatively high columbic efficiency by taking advantage of the synergistic effects of the microporous carbon from ZIF-8 and a highly interconnected graphene network. Our results demonstrate that a porous MOF-derived scaffold with a wrapped graphene conductive network structure is a potentially efficient design for a battery electrode that can meet the challenge arising from low conductivity and volume change.

• OSTI ID: 22415228
• Journal Information: APL materials, Journal Name: APL materials Journal Issue: 12 Vol. 2; ISSN AMPADS; ISSN 2166-532X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
CATHODES
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
COMPOSITE MATERIALS
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
ELECTROCHEMISTRY
ELECTRONS
GRAPHENE
LITHIUM
LITHIUM-SULFUR BATTERIES
ORGANOMETALLIC COMPOUNDS
PHASE STABILITY
POROUS MATERIALS
POTENTIALS
PYROLYSIS
SULFUR
THREE-DIMENSIONAL LATTICES
ZEOLITES
ZINC