title: Insight into the Interfacial Process and Mechanism in Lithium-Sulfur Batteries: An In Situ AFM Study.
abstract: Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries are highly appealing for large-scale energy storage. However, performance deterioration issues remain, which are highly related to interfacial properties. Herein, we present a direct visualization of the interfacial structure and dynamics of the Li-S discharge/charge processes at the nanoscale. In situ atomic force microscopy and ex situ spectroscopic methods directly distinguish the morphology and growth processes of insoluble products Li2S2and Li2S. The monitored interfacial dynamics show that Li2S2nanoparticle nuclei begin to grow at 2 V followed by a fast deposition of lamellar Li2S at 1.83 V on discharge. Upon charging, only Li2S depletes from the interface, leaving some Li2S2undissolved, which accumulates during cycling. The galvanostatic precipitation of Li2S2and/or Li2S is correlated to current rates and affects the specific capacity. These findings reveal a straightforward structure-reactivity correlation and performance fading mechanism in Li-S batteries.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Molecular Nanostructure and Nanotechnology and Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Science, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, P.R. China.|University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (China), Beijing, 100049, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Shuang-Yan
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Lang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Molecular Nanostructure and Nanotechnology and Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Science, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, P.R. China.|University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (China), Beijing, 100049, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Molecular Nanostructure and Nanotechnology and Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Science, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, P.R. China.|University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (China), Beijing, 100049, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Yu-Guo
authors.initials: YG
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Molecular Nanostructure and Nanotechnology and Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Science, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, P.R. China.|University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (China), Beijing, 100049, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Dong
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Molecular Nanostructure and Nanotechnology and Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Science, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Rui
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wen
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Molecular Nanostructure and Nanotechnology and Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Science, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, P.R. China.|University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (China), Beijing, 100049, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Li-Jun
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Wan
keywords: AFM; Li-S batteries; electrochemistry; interfacial dynamics; nanostructures