Issue 43, 2016

A trifunctional multi-walled carbon nanotubes/polyethylene glycol (MWCNT/PEG)-coated separator through a layer-by-layer coating strategy for high-energy Li–S batteries

Abstract

A trifunctional separator fabricated by using a light-weight layer-by-layer multi-walled carbon nanotubes/polyethylene glycol (MWCNT/PEG) coating has been explored in lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries. The conductive MWCNT/PEG coating serves as (i) an upper current collector for accelerating the electron transport and benefiting the electrochemical reaction kinetics of the cell, (ii) a net-like filter for blocking and intercepting the migrating polysulfides through a synergistic effect including physical and chemical interactions, and (iii) a layered barrier for inhibiting the continuous diffusion and alleviating the volume change of the trapped active material by introducing a “buffer zone” in between the coated layers. The multi-layered MWCNT/PEG coating allows the use of the conventional pure sulfur cathode with a high sulfur content (78 wt%) and high sulfur loading (up to 6.5 mg cm−2) to achieve a high initial discharge capacity of 1206 mA h g−1 at C/5 rate, retaining a superior capacity of 630 mA h g−1 after 300 cycles. The MWCNT/PEG-coated separator optimized by the facile layer-by-layer coating method provides a promising and feasible option for advanced Li–S batteries with high energy density.

Graphical abstract: A trifunctional multi-walled carbon nanotubes/polyethylene glycol (MWCNT/PEG)-coated separator through a layer-by-layer coating strategy for high-energy Li–S batteries

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Communication
Submitted
06 sen 2016
Accepted
11 okt 2016
First published
11 okt 2016

J. Mater. Chem. A, 2016,4, 16805-16811

A trifunctional multi-walled carbon nanotubes/polyethylene glycol (MWCNT/PEG)-coated separator through a layer-by-layer coating strategy for high-energy Li–S batteries

L. Luo, S. Chung and A. Manthiram, J. Mater. Chem. A, 2016, 4, 16805 DOI: 10.1039/C6TA07709A

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements