Title: Yolk–Shelled C@Fe ₃ O ₄ Nanoboxes as Efficient Sulfur Hosts for High‐Performance Lithium–Sulfur Batteries

Abstract

Owing to the high theoretical specific capacity (1675 mA h g ⁻¹ ) and low cost, lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries offer advantages for next‐generation energy storage. However, the polysulfide dissolution and low electronic conductivity of sulfur cathodes limit the practical application of Li–S batteries. To address such issues, well‐designed yolk–shelled carbon@Fe ₃ O ₄ (YSC@Fe ₃ O ₄ ) nanoboxes as highly efficient sulfur hosts for Li–S batteries are reported here. With both physical entrapment by carbon shells and strong chemical interaction with Fe ₃ O ₄ cores, this unique architecture immobilizes the active material and inhibits diffusion of the polysulfide intermediates. Moreover, due to their high conductivity, the carbon shells and the polar Fe ₃ O ₄ cores facilitate fast electron/ion transport and promote continuous reactivation of the active material during the charge/discharge process, resulting in improved electrochemical utilization and reversibility. With these merits, the S/YSC@Fe ₃ O ₄ cathodes support high sulfur content (80 wt%) and loading (5.5 mg cm ⁻² ) and deliver high specific capacity, excellent rate capacity, and long cycling stability. This work provides a new perspective to design a carbon/metal‐oxide‐based yolk–shelled framework as a high sulfur‐loading host for advanced Li–S batteries with superior electrochemical properties.

Authors:

He, Jiarui ^[1]; Luo, Liu ^[2]; Chen, Yuanfu ^[3]; Manthiram, Arumugam ^[2]

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+ Show Author Affiliations

1. Materials Science and Engineering Program and Texas Materials Institute The University of Texas at Austin Austin TX 78712 USA, State Key Laboratory of Electronic Thin Films and Integrated Devices University of Electronic Science and Technology of China Chengdu 610054 P. R. China
2. Materials Science and Engineering Program and Texas Materials Institute The University of Texas at Austin Austin TX 78712 USA
3. State Key Laboratory of Electronic Thin Films and Integrated Devices University of Electronic Science and Technology of China Chengdu 610054 P. R. China

Publication Date:

Mon Jul 10 00:00:00 EDT 2017

Sponsoring Org.:

USDOE

OSTI Identifier:

1380006

Grant/Contract Number:  

DE‐SC000597

Resource Type:

Publisher's Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:

Advanced Materials

Additional Journal Information:

Journal Name: Advanced Materials Journal Volume: 29 Journal Issue: 34; Journal ID: ISSN 0935-9648

Publisher:

Wiley Blackwell (John Wiley & Sons)

Country of Publication:

Germany

Language:

English