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Title: Polyisoprene Captured Sulfur Nanocomposite Materials for High-Areal-Capacity Lithium Sulfur Battery

Journal Article · · ACS Applied Polymer Materials

A polyisoprene-sulfur (PIPS) copolymer and nano sulfur composite material (90 wt % sulfur) is synthesized through inverse vulcanization of PIP polymer with micrometer-sized sulfur particles for high-areal-capacity lithium sulfur batteries. The polycrystalline structure and nanodomain nature of the copolymer are revealed through high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). PIP polymer is also used as binders for the electrode to further capture the dissovlved polysulfides. A high areal capacity of ca. 7.0 mAh/cm2 and stable cycling are achieved based on the PIPS nanosulfur composite with a PIP binder, crucial to commercialization of lithium sulfur batteries. The chemical confinement both at material and electrode level alleviates the diffusion of polysulfides and the shuttle effect. The sulfur electrodes, both fresh and cycled, are analyzed through scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Finally, this approach enables scalable material production and high sulfur utilization at the cell level.

Research Organization:
Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE); National Natural Science Foundation (NNSFC); National Key Research and Development Program of China
Grant/Contract Number:
AC02-05CH11231; 21476194; 2018YFB0104300
OSTI ID:
1604698
Journal Information:
ACS Applied Polymer Materials, Vol. 1, Issue 8; ISSN 2637-6105
Publisher:
ACS PublicationsCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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