Attention-based solubility prediction of polysulfide and electrolyte analysis for lithium-sulfur batteries.

During the continuous charge and discharge process in lithium-sulfur batteries, one of the next-generation batteries, polysulfides are generated in the battery's electrolyte, and impact its performance in terms of power and capacity by involving the process. The amount of polysulfides in the electrolyte could be estimated by the change of the Gibbs free energy of the electrolyte, [Formula: see text] in the presence of polysulfide. However, obtaining [Formula: see text] of the diverse mixtures of components in the electrolyte is a complex and expensive task that shows itself as a bottleneck in optimization of electrolytes.

Rational Design of Highly Packed, Crack-Free Sulfur Electrodes by Scaffold-Supported Drying for Ultrahigh-Sulfur-Loaded Lithium-Sulfur Batteries.

Despite the notable progress in the development of rechargeable lithium-sulfur batteries over the last decade, achieving high performance with high-sulfur-loaded sulfur cathodes remains a key challenge on the path to the commercialization of practical lithium-sulfur batteries. This paper presents a novel method by which to fabricate a crack-free sulfur electrode with an ultrahigh sulfur loading (16 mg cm) and a high sulfur content (64%). By introducing a porous scaffold on the top of a cast of sulfur cathode slurry, the formation of cracks during the drying of the cast can be prevented due to the lower volume shrinkage of the skin.

Achieving three-dimensional lithium sulfide growth in lithium-sulfur batteries using high-donor-number anions.

Uncontrolled growth of insulating lithium sulfide leads to passivation of sulfur cathodes, which limits high sulfur utilization in lithium-sulfur batteries. Sulfur utilization can be augmented in electrolytes based on solvents with high Gutmann Donor Number; however, violent lithium metal corrosion is a drawback. Here we report that particulate lithium sulfide growth can be achieved using a salt anion with a high donor number, such as bromide or triflate.