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Research Article

Three-dimensional spongy framework as superlyophilic, strongly absorbing, and electrocatalytic polysulfide reservoir layer for high-rate and long-cycling lithium-sulfur batteries

Lianbo Ma1,§, Guoyin Zhu1,§, Wenjun Zhang1, Peiyang Zhao1, Yi Hu1, Yanrong Wang1, Lei Wang1, Renpeng Chen1, Tao Chen1, Zuoxiu Tie1, Jie Liu1,2, Zhong Jin1 ()
Key Laboratory of Mesoscopic Chemistry of MOESchool of Chemistry and Chemical EngineeringNanjing UniversityNanjing210023China
Department of ChemistryDuke UniversityDurhamNC27708USA

§ Lianbo Ma and Guoyin Zhu contributed equally to this work.

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Abstract

In the development of lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries, various approaches have been adopted to enhance the electronic conductivity of the sulfur cathode and alleviate the shuttle effect of polysulfides; however, the strategies providing efficient solutions are still limited. To further improve the electrochemical performance of Li-S batteries, in this work we propose a new strategy involving the incorporation of a three-dimensional functional spongy framework as polysulfide reservoir layer, with strong absorbability and electrocatalytic activity towards sulfur species. The spongy framework has a hierarchical architecture composed of highly conductive Ni foam/graphene/carbon nanotubes/MnO2 nanoflakes (NGCM). The strongly interconnected Ni foam, graphene, and carbon nanotubes of the NGCM sponge facilitate electron transfer during discharge/charge processes; moreover, the superlyophilic properties of the NGCM sponge ensure good wettability and interface contact with the Li-S electrolyte, and the porous MnO2 nanoflakes provide strong chemisorptive and electrocatalytic effects on polysulfides (as confirmed theoretically and experimentally). The NGCM sponge, serving as a polysulfide reservoir layer attached on a conventional sulfur-mixed carbon nanotubes (S/CNTs) cathode, can provide improved reversible capacity, rate capability (593 mAh·g–1 at 3.0 C), and cycling stability. In addition, the self-discharge rate is greatly reduced, owing to the efficient conservation of polysulfides in the NGCM spongy framework.

Keywords

lithium-sulfur batteriescomposite spongy frameworkpolysulfide reservoir layerchemisorption and absorbabilityelectrocatalytic effect

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Nano Research
Volume 11 Issue 12,
December 2018
Pages 6436-6446
DOI: 10.1007/s12274-018-2168-8
Cite this article:
Ma L, Zhu G, Zhang W, et al. Three-dimensional spongy framework as superlyophilic, strongly absorbing, and electrocatalytic polysulfide reservoir layer for high-rate and long-cycling lithium-sulfur batteries. Nano Research, 2018, 11(12): 6436-6446. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-018-2168-8
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