Issue 7, 2013

Improved lithium–sulfur cells with a treated carbon paper interlayer

Abstract

A simple, low-cost modification of lithium–sulfur (Li–S) cells by placing a treated carbon paper between the sulfur electrode and the separator has been investigated to significantly improve the performance of Li–S cells. The treated carbon paper was prepared by an alcohol-alkaline/thermal treatment of a commercial Toray carbon paper, introducing hydroxyl functional groups and micro-cracks on the carbon fibers in the carbon paper, which enhances the hydrophilicity and increases surface areas of the carbon paper matrix. The modified Li–S cells deliver a higher initial capacity of 1651 mAh g−1 at 1.5–2.8 V at a rate of C/5 compared to the cells without any interlayer or with an untreated carbon paper interlayer. The cells with the treated carbon paper offer additional improvement in performance when the discharge cut-off voltage is raised to 1.8 V: 1057, 1002, and 929 mAh g−1 after 100 cycles, respectively, at C/5, C/2, and 1 C rates. The improved cell performance is attributed to the 3D architecture of the carbon paper interlayer, serving as a conductive skeleton for trapping and depositing dissolved sulfur-containing active materials, as confirmed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The novel configuration presented here offers a low-cost approach to overcome the persistent problems of Li–S cells.

Graphical abstract: Improved lithium–sulfur cells with a treated carbon paper interlayer

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
26 Sep 2012
Accepted
07 Dec 2012
First published
07 Dec 2012

Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2013,15, 2291-2297

Improved lithium–sulfur cells with a treated carbon paper interlayer

C. Zu, Y. Su, Y. Fu and A. Manthiram, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2013, 15, 2291 DOI: 10.1039/C2CP43394J

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