Interface engineering by atomically thin layer tungsten disulfide catalyst for high performance Li–S battery. (June 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Pam, Mei Er; Huang, Shaozhuan; Fan, Shuang; Geng, Dechao; Kong, Dezhi; Chen, Song; Ding, Meng; Guo, Lu; Ang, Lay Kee; Yang, Hui Ying
• Is Part Of: Materials today energy. Volume 16(2020)
• Publication Date: 2020-06
• Subjects: Tungsten disulfide -- Lithium sulfur battery -- Interlayer -- Atomically thin layer -- Structural engineering; Energy development -- Periodicals; Energy industries -- Periodicals; Power resources -- Periodicals; Energy policy -- Periodicals; Energy development; Energy industries; Energy policy; Power resources; Electronic journals; Periodicals; 621.042
• DOI: 10.1016/j.mtener.2019.100380
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2468-6069

Abstract

Abstract: Owing to high aspect ratio of edge sites and superior catalytic activity, atomically thin transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) show great promise to tailor the electrolyte/electrode interface properties for high performance lithium-sulfur battery (Li–S battery). However, the TMDCs that engineer the electrode/electrolyte interface are usually produced through chemical hydrothermal methods, which show low crystallinity and thick multilayer structure. Herein, a highly crystalline and atomically thin tungsten disulfides on carbon cloth (WS2 @CC) was developed via chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and served as an effective electrode/electrolyte interface for Li–S battery. Our results demonstrate that the atomically thin WS2 with high crystal quality and abundant edges sites can effectively accelerates the redox kinetics of sulfur/lithium polysulfides and regulates the precipitation/decomposition of insoluble Li2 S. More importantly, it was revealed that the hierarchical flower-stacked WS2 with excessive exposed catalytic edges shows extremely strong polysulfide adsorption, which causes the sulfur species aggregation and passivation on the WS2 @CC surface, thus resulting in deformed rate performance and poor cycling stability as compared to the few-layer WS2 @CC. Our work provides a new insight into the structural engineering of TMDCs by CVD for Li–S battery, and suggests the importance of rational chemisorption and catalysis of the interface to realize the high-performance Li–S battery. Graphical abstract: Image 1 Highlights: A highly crystalline and atomically thin tungsten disulfides on carbon cloth (WS2 @CC) was developed. Atomically thin WS2 with high crystal quality and abundant edges sites can effectively accelerates the redox kinetics. The hierarchical flower-stacked WS2 shows extremely strong polysulfide adsorption for Li–S batteries.