Constructing a multifunctional mesoporous composite of metallic cobalt nanoparticles and nitrogen‐doped reduced graphene oxides for high‐performance lithium–sulfur batteries. Issue 2 (21st January 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Gai, Luhai; Zhao, Chenhao; Zhang, Ya; Hu, Zhibiao; Shen, Qiang
• Is Part Of: Carbon energy. Volume 4:Issue 2(2022)
• Page Start: 142
• Page End: 154
• Publication Date: 2022-01-21
• Subjects: high‐performance mechanism -- lithium–sulfur batteries -- multifunctional -- three‐dimensional mesoporous reduced graphene oxide‐based nanocomposite; Carbon -- Periodicals; Carbon dioxide industry -- Periodicals; Power resources -- Research -- Periodicals; Energy industries -- Periodicals; Power resources -- Research; Energy industries; Carbon dioxide industry; Carbon; Electronic journals; Periodicals; 620.193
• DOI: 10.1002/cey2.168
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2637-9368

Abstract

Abstract: Electrochemical properties of lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries are mainly hindered by both the insulating nature of elemental sulfur (i.e., molecular S8 ) and the shuttling effect or sluggish redox kinetics of lithium polysulfide intermediates (Li2 S n, 3 ≤ n ≤ 8). In this paper, a three‐dimensional mesoporous reduced graphene oxide‐based nanocomposite, with the embedding of metallic Co nanoparticles and the doping of elemental N (Co/NrGO), and its simply ground mixture with powdered S at a mass ratio of 1:6 (Co/NrGO/S) are prepared and used as cathode‐/separator‐coated interlayers and working electrodes in assembled Li–S cells, respectively. One of the effective cell configurations is to paste composite Co/NrGO onto both the S‐loading cathode and separator, showing good cycling stability (1070 mAh g −1 in the 100th cycle at 0.2 C), high‐rate capability (835 mAh g −1, 2.0 C), and excellent durability (905 mAh g −1 in the 250th cycle at 0.5 or 0.2 C). Compared with the experimental results of Co‐absent NrGO, electrochemical properties of various Co/NrGO‐based cell configurations clearly show multiple functions of Co/NrGO, indicating that the absence of Co/NrGO coatings and/or Co nanoparticles may be inadequate to achieve superior S availability of assembled Li–S batteries. Abstract : Aside from the simple grinding of as‐obtained Co/NrGO with powdered sulfur at a 1:6 mass ratio, an appropriate cell configuration yields multifunctional Co/NrGO for high‐performance Li–S batteries.