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Research Article

Activated graphene with tailored pore structure parameters for long cycle-life lithium–sulfur batteries

Mingbo Zheng1, Songtao Zhang1, Shuangqiang Chen2, Zixia Lin1, Huan Pang1( ), Yan Yu2( )
School of Chemistry and Chemical EngineeringYangzhou UniversityYangzhou225002China
CAS Key Laboratory of Materials for Energy ConversionDepartment of Materials Science and EngineeringUniversity of Science and Technology of ChinaHefei230026China
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Abstract

Activated graphene (AG) with various specific surface areas, pore volumes, and average pore sizes is fabricated and applied as a matrix for sulfur. The impacts of the AG pore structure parameters and sulfur loadings on the electrochemical performance of lithium-sulfur batteries are systematically investigated. The results show that specific capacity, cycling performance, and Coulombic efficiency of the batteries are closely linked to the pore structure and sulfur loading. An AG3/S composite electrode with a high sulfur loading of 72 wt.% exhibited an excellent long-term cycling stability (50% capacity retention over 1, 000 cycles) and extra-low capacity fade rate (0.05% per cycle). In addition, when LiNO3 was used as an electrolyte additive, the AG3/S electrode exhibited a similar capacity retention and high Coulombic efficiency (~98%) over 1, 000 cycles. The excellent electrochemical performance of the series of AG3/S electrodes is attributed to the mixed micro/mesoporous structure, high surface area, and good electrical conductivity of the AG matrices and the well-distributed sulfur within the micro/mesopores, which is beneficial for electrical and ionic transfer during cycling.

Keywords

energy storagelithium-sulfur batteriesnanoporous materialsactivated graphene

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Nano Research
Volume 10 Issue 12,
December 2017
Pages 4305-4317
DOI: 10.1007/s12274-017-1659-3
Cite this article:
Zheng M, Zhang S, Chen S, et al. Activated graphene with tailored pore structure parameters for long cycle-life lithium–sulfur batteries. Nano Research, 2017, 10(12): 4305-4317. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-017-1659-3

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Received: 23 March 2017
Revised: 26 April 2017
Accepted: 29 April 2017
Published: 07 June 2017
© Tsinghua University Press and Springer‐Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2017
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