title: High-Performance Lithium-Sulfur Batteries with a Self-Assembled Multiwall Carbon Nanotube Interlayer and a Robust Electrode-Electrolyte Interface.
abstract: Elemental sulfur electrode has a huge advantage in terms of charge-storage capacity. However, the lack of electrical conductivity results in poor electrochemical utilization of sulfur and performance. This problem has been overcome to some extent previously by using a bare multiwall carbon nanotube (MWCNT) paper interlayer between the sulfur cathode and the polymeric separator, resulting in good electron transport and adsorption of dissolved polysulfides. To advance the interlayer concept further, we present here a self-assembled MWCNT interlayer fabricated by a facile, low-cost process. The Li-S cells fabricated with the self-assembled MWCNT interlayer and a high loading of 3 mg cm(-2) sulfur exhibit a first discharge specific capacity of 1112 mAh g(-1) at 0.1 C rate and retain 95.8% of the capacity at 0.5 C rate after 100 cycles as the self-assembled MWCNT interlayer facilitates good interfacial contact between the interlayer and the sulfur cathode and fast electron and lithium-ion transport while trapping and reutilizing the migrating polysulfides. The approach presented here has the potential to advance the commercialization feasibility of the Li-S batteries.
authors.affiliation: Department of Energy Engineering, Hanyang University , Seoul 133-791, South Korea.
authors.forename: Hee Min
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Energy Engineering, Hanyang University , Seoul 133-791, South Korea.
authors.forename: Jang-Yeon
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.affiliation: Materials Science and Engineering Program and Texas Materials Institute, The University of Texas at Austin , Austin, Texas 78712, United States.
authors.forename: Arumugam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Manthiram
authors.affiliation: Department of Energy Engineering, Hanyang University , Seoul 133-791, South Korea.
authors.forename: Yang-Kook
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Sun
mesh_terms: D011211:Electric Power Supplies; D004566:Electrodes; D004573:Electrolytes / Q000737:chemistry*; D008094:Lithium / Q000737:chemistry*; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013455:Sulfur / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D004573:Electrolytes; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon; D013455:Sulfur; D008094:Lithium
keywords: bare MWCNT interlayer; elemental sulfur electrode; lithium−sulfur batteries; multiwalled carbon nanotube; self-assembled MWCNT interlayer; simple manufacturing process