Bifunctional separator as a polysulfide mediator for highly stable Li-S batteries
Type
ArticleAuthors
Abbas, Syed AliIbrahem, Mohammed Aziz
Hu, Lung-hao
Lin, Chia-Nan
Fang, Jason
Boopathi, Karunakara Moorthy
Wang, Pen-Cheng
Li, Lain-Jong

Chu, Chih Wei
KAUST Department
Material Science and Engineering ProgramPhysical Science and Engineering (PSE) Division
Date
2016Permanent link to this record
http://hdl.handle.net/10754/611226
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
The shuttling process involving lithium polysulfides is one of the major factors responsible for the degradation in capacity of lithium–sulfur batteries (LSBs). Herein, we demonstrate a novel and simple strategy—using a bifunctional separator, prepared by spraying poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) on pristine separator—to obtain long-cycle LSBs. The negatively charged SO3– groups present in PSS act as an electrostatic shield for soluble lithium polysulfides through mutual coulombic repulsion, whereas PEDOT provides chemical interactions with insoluble polysulfides (Li2S, Li2S2). The dual shielding effect can provide an efficient protection from the shuttling phenomenon by confining lithium polysulfides to the cathode side of the battery. Moreover, coating with PEDOT:PSS transforms the surface of the separator from hydrophobic to hydrophilic, thereby improving the electrochemical performance. We observed an ultralow decay of 0.0364% per cycle when we ran the battery for 1000 cycles at 0.25 C—far superior to that of the pristine separator and one of the lowest recorded values reported at a low current density. We examined the versatility of our separator by preparing a flexible battery that functioned well under various stress conditions; it displayed flawless performance. Accordingly, this economical and simple strategy appears to be an ideal platform for commercialization of LSBs.Citation
Bifunctional separator as a polysulfide mediator for highly stable Li-S batteries 2016 J. Mater. Chem. ASponsors
Dr. Chu thanks the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) of Taiwan (103-3111-Y-001- 032) and the Career Development Award of Academia Sinica, Taiwan (103-CDA-M01), for financial support.Publisher
Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC)Journal
Journal of Materials Chemistry AAdditional Links
http://pubs.rsc.org/en/Content/ArticleLanding/2016/TA/C6TA02272Cae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.1039/C6TA02272C