Oxygen‐vacancy‐containing cerium oxide nanoparticle‐decorated nanonetwork‐structured carbon toward high‐performance lithium–sulfur batteries. Issue 1 (7th February 2023)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Li, Chuanfa; Ma, Pengwei; Lin, Shenghao; Cen, Zongheng; Huang, Junlong; Cui, Yin; Li, Shimei; Liu, Shaohong; Fu, Ruowen; Wu, Dingcai
• Is Part Of: SusMat. Volume 3:Issue 1(2023)
• Page Start: 137
• Page End: 144
• Publication Date: 2023-02-07
• Subjects: lithium–sulfur batteries -- nanonetwork‐structured carbon -- oxygen vacancies; Sustainable engineering -- Periodicals; Materials -- Environmental aspects -- Periodicals; Clean energy -- Periodicals; Refuse and refuse disposal -- Periodicals; 620.1
• DOI: 10.1002/sus2.112
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2692-4552

Abstract

Abstract: Lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries have been regarded as promising next‐generation energy‐storage devices owing to their inherently high theoretical energy density. Unfortunately, the poor capacity and cycling life caused by severe polysulfide shuttle effect and sluggish redox kinetics in sulfur cathodes greatly impede the practical application of Li–S batteries. Herein, a new class of nanonetwork‐structured carbon decorated with oxygen‐vacancy‐containing cerium oxide nanoparticles (NSC–CeO2− x ), in which carbon skeleton is composed of highly conductive carbon nanotube core welded by hybrid carbon shell, has been developed via one‐step heating treatment of hybrid molecular brush and further employed as functional interlayer to modify separator of Li–S battery. Owing to the synergistic effect of the highly active CeO2− x nanoparticles and the three‐dimensional carbon nanonetwork in enhancing the preservation of the soluble polysulfides and boosting the redox kinetics of sulfur species, the NSC–CeO2− x significantly promotes the electrochemical performance of sulfur cathode. As a result, the as‐constructed Li–S batteries exhibit an ultrahigh initial sulfur utilization of 92.9% and an extremely large capacity of 751 mA h g −1 at a high rate of 5 C. Remarkably, a stable capacity of 728 mA h g −1 over 300 cycles at 1 C is also achieved. Abstract : Oxygen‐vacancy‐containing cerium oxide nanoparticle‐decorated nanonetwork‐structured carbon has been fabricated via one‐step heating treatment of hybrid molecular brush and employed as functional interlayers to modify separators of Li–S batteries. The as‐constructed Li–S batteries achieve an ultrahigh initial sulfur utilization of 92.9% at 0.1 C and an extremely large capacity of 751 mA h g −1 at a high rate of 5 C.