Advanced Li-S Battery Configuration Featuring Sulfur-Coated Separator and Interwoven rGO/CNT Fabric Current Collector.

The development of lithium-sulfur batteries (LSBs) marks a crucial milestone in advancing energy storage solutions essential for sustainable energy transitions. With high theoretical specific capacity, cost-effectiveness, and reduced ecological footprint, LSBs promise to enhance electric vehicle ranges, extend portable electronics' operational times, and stabilize grids integrated with renewable energy. However, challenges like complex processing, electrode instability, and poor cycling stability hinder their commercialization.

Development and Optimization of Thin-Lithium-Metal Anodes with a Lithium Lanthanum Titanate Stabilization Coating for Enhancement of Lithium-Sulfur Battery Performance.

Lithium-ion batteries are dominating high-energy-density energy storage for 30 years. However, their development approaches theoretical limits, spurring the development of lithium-sulfur cells that achieve high energy densities through reversible electrochemical conversion reactions. Nevertheless, the commercialization of lithium-sulfur cells is hindered by practical challenges associated primarily with the use of thick-lithium anodes, low-loading sulfur cathodes, and high electrolyte-to-sulfur ratios, which prevent realization of the cells' full potential in terms of electrochemical and material performance.

Cement/Sulfur for Lithium-Sulfur Cells.

Lithium-sulfur batteries represent a promising class of next-generation rechargeable energy storage technologies, primarily because of their high-capacity sulfur cathode, reversible battery chemistry, low toxicity, and cost-effectiveness. However, they lack a tailored cell material and configuration for enhancing their high electrochemical utilization and stability. This study introduces a cross-disciplinary concept involving cost-efficient cement and sulfur to prepare a cement/sulfur energy storage material.

A solid-state electrolyte for electrochemical lithium-sulfur cells.

Post-lithium-ion batteries are designed to achieve high energy density and high safety by modifying their active material and cell configuration. In terms of the active material, lithium-sulfur batteries have the highest charge-storage capacity and high active-material utilization because of the use of a conversion-type sulfur cathode, which involves conversion between solid-state sulfur, liquid-state polysulfides, and solid-state sulfides. In terms of the configuration, solid-state batteries ensure high safety by using a solid-state electrolyte in between the two electrodes.

Electrolessly tin-plated sulfur nanocomposite for practical lean-electrolyte lithium-sulfur cells with a high-loading sulfur cathode.

Lithium-sulfur batteries are among the most promising low-cost, high-energy-density storage devices. The high-capacity sulfur active material undergoes electrochemical conversion between the solid and liquid states. Thus, the comprehensive design of a suitable synthesis method, substrate material, and cathode configuration is essential for developing advanced sulfur cathodes with practical cell design and cell performance parameters.

Electrochemically Stable Rechargeable Lithium-Sulfur Batteries Equipped with an Electrospun Polyacrylonitrile Nanofiber Film.

The high theoretical charge-storage capacity and energy density of lithium-sulfur batteries make them a promising next-generation energy-storage system. However, liquid polysulfides are highly soluble in the electrolytes used in lithium-sulfur batteries, which results in irreversible loss of their active materials and rapid capacity degradation. In this study, we adopt the widely applied electrospinning method to fabricate an electrospun polyacrylonitrile film containing non-nanoporous fibers bearing continuous electrolyte tunnels and demonstrate that this serves as an effective separator in lithium-sulfur batteries.

High Entropy Oxide (CrMnFeNiMg) O with Large Compositional Space Shows Long-Term Stability as Cathode in Lithium-Sulfur Batteries.

The repeated formation and irreversible diffusion of liquid-state lithium polysulfides (LiPSs) are the primary challenges in the development of high-energy-density lithium-sulfur battery (LSB). An effective strategy to alleviate the resulting polysulfide loss is critical for the stability of LSBs. In this regard, high entropy oxides (HEOs) appear as a promising additive for the adsorption and conversion of LiPSs owing to the diverse active sites, offering unparalleled synergistic effects.

Module-Designed Carbon-Coated Separators for High-Loading, High-Sulfur-Utilization Cathodes in Lithium-Sulfur Batteries.

Lithium-sulfur batteries have great potential as next-generation energy-storage devices because of their high theoretical charge-storage capacity and the low cost of the sulfur cathode. To accelerate the development of lithium-sulfur technology, it is necessary to address the intrinsic material and extrinsic technological challenges brought about by the insulating active solid-state materials and the soluble active liquid-state materials. Herein, we report a systematic investigation of module-designed carbon-coated separators, where the carbon coating layer on the polypropylene membrane decreases the irreversible loss of dissolved polysulfides and increases the reaction kinetics of the high-loading sulfur cathode.

Structural and Surfacial Modification of Carbon Nanofoam as an Interlayer for Electrochemically Stable Lithium-Sulfur Cells.

Electrochemical lithium-sulfur batteries engage the attention of researchers due to their high-capacity sulfur cathodes, which meet the increasing energy-density needs of next-generation energy-storage systems. We present here the design, modification, and investigation of a carbon nanofoam as the interlayer in a lithium-sulfur cell to enable its high-loading sulfur cathode to attain high electrochemical utilization, efficiency, and stability. The carbon-nanofoam interlayer features a porous and tortuous carbon network that accelerates the charge transfer while decelerating the polysulfide diffusion.

A LiS-Based Catholyte/Solid-State-Electrolyte Composite for Electrochemically Stable Lithium-Sulfur Batteries.

LiS, which features a high theoretical capacity of 1,166 mA·h g, is an attractive cathode material for developing high-energy-density lithium-sulfur batteries. However, pristine LiS requires a high activation voltage of 4.0 V, which degrades both the electrolyte and electrode, leading to poor cycling performance.

Advanced Current Collectors with Carbon Nanofoams for Electrochemically Stable Lithium-Sulfur Cells.

An inexpensive sulfur cathode with the highest possible charge storage capacity is attractive for the design of lithium-ion batteries with a high energy density and low cost. To promote existing lithium-sulfur battery technologies in the current energy storage market, it is critical to increase the electrochemical stability of the conversion-type sulfur cathode. Here, we present the adoption of a carbon nanofoam as an advanced current collector for the lithium-sulfur battery cathode.

A Poly(ethylene oxide)/Lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide-Coated Polypropylene Membrane for a High-Loading Lithium-Sulfur Battery.

In lithium-sulfur cells, the dissolution and relocation of the liquid-state active material (polysulfides) lead to fast capacity fading and low Coulombic efficiency, resulting in poor long-term electrochemical stability. To solve this problem, we synthesize a composite using a gel polymer electrolyte and a separator as a functional membrane, coated with a layer of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI). The PEO/LiTFSI-coated polypropylene membrane slows the diffusion of polysulfides and stabilizes the liquid-state active material within the cathode region of the cell, while allowing smooth lithium-ion transfer.

Lean-electrolyte lithium-sulfur electrochemical cells with high-loading carbon nanotube/nanofiber-polysulfide cathodes.

A carbon nanotube/nanofiber (CNT/CNF) composite is applied as a cathode substrate to develop a high-loading polysulfide cathode (8.64 mg cm, 68 wt% sulfur). The high-loading CNT/CNF-polysulfide cathode demonstrates high energy densities (11.

Bifunctional Binder with Nucleophilic Lithium Polysulfide Immobilization Ability for High-Loading, High-Thickness Cathodes in Lithium-Sulfur Batteries.

Lithium-sulfur batteries remain a promising next-generation renewable energy storage device due to their high theoretical energy density over the current commercial lithium-ion battery technology. However, to have any practical viability toward reaching the theoretical value, high-loading cathodes with sufficient sulfur content and specifically the effect of nonconductive binders must be investigated. We consider the limitations of conventional binders for high-loading, high-thickness cathodes by integrating a bifunctional binder with a linear polyethylene chain and maleate-capped ends.

Pyrrolic-Type Nitrogen-Doped Hierarchical Macro/Mesoporous Carbon as a Bifunctional Host for High-Performance Thick Cathodes for Lithium-Sulfur Batteries.

Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries are highly considered as a next-generation energy storage device due to their high theoretical energy density. For practical viability, reasonable active-material loading of >4.0 mg cm must be employed, at a cost to the intrinsic instability of sulfur cathodes.

Designing Lithium-Sulfur Batteries with High-Loading Cathodes at a Lean Electrolyte Condition.

Developing lithium-sulfur cells with a high-loading cathode at a lean-electrolyte condition is the key to bringing the lithium-sulfur technology into the energy-storage market. However, it has proven to be extremely challenging to develop a cell that simultaneously satisfies the abovementioned metrics while also displaying high electrochemical efficiency and stability. Here, we present a concept of constructing a conductive cathode substrate with a low surface area and optimized nanoporosity (i.

A Facile, Low-Cost Hot-Pressing Process for Fabricating Lithium-Sulfur Cells with Stable Dynamic and Static Electrochemistry.

Lithium-sulfur batteries are among the most promising low-cost, high-energy-density storage devices. However, the inability to host a sufficient amount of sulfur in the cathode while maintaining good electrochemical stability under a lean electrolyte condition has limited the progress. The main cause of these challenges is the sensitivity of the sulfur cathode to the cell-design parameters (i.

Long-Life Lithium-Sulfur Batteries with a Bifunctional Cathode Substrate Configured with Boron Carbide Nanowires.

Developing high-energy-density lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries relies on the design of electrode substrates that can host a high sulfur loading and still attain high electrochemical utilization. Herein, a new bifunctional cathode substrate configured with boron-carbide nanowires in situ grown on carbon nanofibers (B C@CNF) is established through a facile catalyst-assisted process. The B C nanowires acting as chemical-anchoring centers provide strong polysulfide adsorptivity, as validated by experimental data and first-principle calculations.

Thin-Layered Molybdenum Disulfide Nanoparticles as an Effective Polysulfide Mediator in Lithium-Sulfur Batteries.

Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries are attractive as sulfur offers an order of magnitude higher charge-storage capacity than the currently used insertion-compound cathodes. However, their practical viability is hampered by low electrochemical stability and efficiency, which results from severe polysulfide (LiPS) shuttling during cycling. We present here thin-layered MoS nanoparticles (MoS-NPs) synthesized through a one-pot method and coated onto a commercial polymeric separator (as MoS-NP-coated separator) as an effective LiPS mediator, facilitated by the nanodimension, polar interactions, and the better edge-binding sites of the MoS-NPs.

Three-Dimensional Graphene-Carbon Nanotube-Ni Hierarchical Architecture as a Polysulfide Trap for Lithium-Sulfur Batteries.

Despite their high energy density and affordable cost compared to lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries, lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries still endure from slow reaction kinetics and capacity loss induced by the insulating sulfur and severe polysulfide diffusion. To address these issues, we report here nickel nanoparticles filled in vertically grown carbon nanotubes (CNTs) on graphene sheets (graphene-CNT-nickel composite (Gr-CNT-Ni)) that are coated onto a polypropylene separator as a polysulfide trap for the construction of high-loading sulfur cathodes. The hierarchical porous framework of Gr-CNT physically entraps and immobilizes the active material sulfur, while the strong chemical interaction with Ni nanoparticles in Gr-CNT-Ni inhibits polysulfide diffusion.