title: Improving lithium-sulphur batteries through spatial control of sulphur species deposition on a hybrid electrode surface.
abstract: Lithium-sulphur batteries are attractive owing to their high theoretical energy density and reasonable kinetics. Despite the success of trapping soluble polysulphides in a matrix with high surface area, spatial control of solid-state sulphur and lithium sulphide species deposition as a critical aspect has not been demonstrated. Herein, we show a clear visual evidence that these solid species deposit preferentially onto tin-doped indium oxide instead of carbon during electrochemical charge/discharge of soluble polysuphides. To incorporate this concept of spatial control into more practical battery electrodes, we further prepare carbon nanofibers with tin-doped indium oxide nanoparticles decorating the surface as hybrid three-dimensional electrodes to maximize the number of deposition sites. With 12.5 μl of 5 M Li2S8 as the catholyte and a rate of C/5, we can reach the theoretical limit of Li2S8 capacity ~\n1,470 mAh g(-1) (sulphur weight) under the loading of hybrid electrode only at 4.3 mg cm(-2).
authors.affiliation: 1] Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA [2].
authors.forename: Hongbin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.affiliation: 1] Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA [2].
authors.forename: Guangyuan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA.
authors.forename: Po-Chun
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA.
authors.forename: Desheng
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kong
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA.
authors.forename: Judy J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Cha
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA.
authors.forename: Weiyang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA.
authors.forename: Zhi Wei
authors.initials: ZW
authors.lastname: Seh
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA.
authors.forename: Matthew T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: McDowell
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA.
authors.forename: Kai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA.
authors.forename: Zheng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA.
authors.forename: Vijay Kris
authors.initials: VK
authors.lastname: Narasimhan
authors.affiliation: 1] Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA [2] Stanford Institute for Materials and Energy Sciences, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, 2575 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park, California 94025, USA.
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cui