title: Fibrous hybrid of graphene and sulfur nanocrystals for high-performance lithium-sulfur batteries.
abstract: Graphene-sulfur (G-S) hybrid materials with sulfur nanocrystals anchored on interconnected fibrous graphene are obtained by a facile one-pot strategy using a sulfur/carbon disulfide/alcohol mixed solution. The reduction of graphene oxide and the formation/binding of sulfur nanocrystals were integrated. The G-S hybrids exhibit a highly porous network structure constructed by fibrous graphene, many electrically conducting pathways, and easily tunable sulfur content, which can be cut and pressed into pellets to be directly used as lithium-sulfur battery cathodes without using a metal current-collector, binder, and conductive additive. The porous network and sulfur nanocrystals enable rapid ion transport and short Li(+) diffusion distance, the interconnected fibrous graphene provides highly conductive electron transport pathways, and the oxygen-containing (mainly hydroxyl/epoxide) groups show strong binding with polysulfides, preventing their dissolution into the electrolyte based on first-principles calculations. As a result, the G-S hybrids show a high capacity, an excellent high-rate performance, and a long life over 100 cycles. These results demonstrate the great potential of this unique hybrid structure as cathodes for high-performance lithium-sulfur batteries.
authors.affiliation: Shenyang National Laboratory of Materials Science, Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 72 Wenhua Road, Shenyang 110016, China.
authors.forename: Guangmin
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Li-Chang
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.forename: Da-Wei
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Lu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Songfeng
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pei
authors.forename: Ian Ross
authors.initials: IR
authors.lastname: Gentle
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Hui-Ming
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Cheng
mesh_terms: D000438:Alcohols / Q000737:chemistry; D002246:Carbon Disulfide / Q000737:chemistry; D004058:Diffusion; D004553:Electric Conductivity; D011211:Electric Power Supplies; D004566:Electrodes; D006108:Graphite / Q000737:chemistry*; D008094:Lithium / Q000737:chemistry*; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D010100:Oxygen / Q000737:chemistry; D013455:Sulfur / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000438:Alcohols; D013455:Sulfur; D006108:Graphite; D008094:Lithium; D002246:Carbon Disulfide; D010100:Oxygen