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Vol. 12 (2020)

Comprehensive Design of the High-Sulfur-Loading Li–S Battery Based on MXene Nanosheets

https://doi.org/10.1007/s40820-020-00449-7
Shouzheng Zhang
College of Materials and Chemical Engineering, China Three Gorges University, 8 Daxue Road, Yichang 443002, Hubei, People’s Republic of China
Ning Zhong
State Key Laboratory of Chem/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, People’s Republic of China
Xing Zhou
State Key Laboratory of Chem/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, People’s Republic of China
Mingjie Zhang
State Key Laboratory of Chem/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, People’s Republic of China
Xiangping Huang
College of Science, China Three Gorges University, 8 Daxue Road, Yichang 443002, Hubei, People’s Republic of China
Xuelin Yang
College of Materials and Chemical Engineering, China Three Gorges University, 8 Daxue Road, Yichang 443002, Hubei, People’s Republic of China
Ruijin Meng
State Key Laboratory of Chem/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, People’s Republic of China
Xiao Liang
State Key Laboratory of Chem/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, People’s Republic of China

Corresponding Author: Xiao Liang

xliang@hnu.edu.cn

Nano-Micro Letters, Vol. 12 (2020), Article Number: 112

Abstract

The lithium-sulfur battery is the subject of much recent attention due to the high theoretical energy density, but practical applications are challenged by fast decay owing to polysulfide shuttle and electrode architecture degradation. A comprehensive study of the sulfur host microstructure design and the cell architecture construction based on the MXene phase (Ti3C2Tx nanosheets) is performed, aiming at realize stable cycling performance of Li–S battery with high sulfur areal loading. The interwoven KB@Ti3C2Tx composite formed by self-assembly of MXene and Ktejen black, not only provides superior conductivity and maintains the electrode integrality bearing the volume expansion/shrinkage when used as the sulfur host, but also functions as an interlayer on separator to further retard the polysulfide cross-diffusion that possibly escaped from the cathode. The KB@Ti3C2Tx interlayer is only 0.28 mg cm−2 in areal loading and 3 μm in thickness, which accounts a little contribution to the thick sulfur electrode; thus, the impacts on the energy density is minimal. By coupling the robust KB@Ti3C2Tx cathode and the effective KB@Ti3C2Tx modified separator, a stable Li–S battery with high sulfur areal loading (5.6 mg cm−2) and high areal capacity (6.4 mAh cm−2) at relatively lean electrolyte is achieved.


Highlights:


1 The intrinsic negatively charged MXene nanosheets were assembled to the positively charged Ketjen black/sulfur (KB/S) or KB to constructing the interwoven composite.
2 The KB/S@Ti3C2Tx architectures allow high sulfur loading and accommodate the corresponding volume change, while the structural integrity and the ionic and electric conducting pathways are well maintained.
3 The KB@Ti3C2Tx interlayers further retard the polysulfide that escaped from the cathode. It is only 0.28 mg cm−2 in density and 3 μm in thickness—the effect on energy density is minimal.

Keywords

MXene nanosheet High sulfur areal loading Interlayer Lithium–sulfur battery
Zhang, Shouzheng, Ning Zhong, Xing Zhou, Mingjie Zhang, Xiangping Huang, Xuelin Yang, Ruijin Meng, and Xiao Liang. 2020. “Comprehensive Design of the High-Sulfur-Loading Li–S Battery Based on MXene Nanosheets”. Nano-Micro Letters 12 (May):112. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40820-020-00449-7.
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