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Bis(aryl) Tetrasulfides as Cathode Materials for Rechargeable Lithium Batteries
Author(s) -
Guo Wei,
Wawrzyniakowski Zachary D.,
Cerda Matthew M.,
Bhargav Amruth,
Pluth Michael D.,
Ma Ying,
Fu Yongzhu
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
chemistry – a european journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.687
H-Index - 242
eISSN - 1521-3765
pISSN - 0947-6539
DOI - 10.1002/chem.201703895
Subject(s) - cathode , electrochemistry , lithium (medication) , materials science , electrode , aryl , voltage , chemical engineering , chemistry , electrical engineering , organic chemistry , medicine , alkyl , engineering , endocrinology
An organotetrasulfide consists of a linear chain of four sulfur atoms that could accept up to 6 e − in reduction reactions, thus providing a promising high‐capacity electrode material. Herein, we study three bis(aryl) tetrasulfides as cathode materials in lithium batteries. Each tetrasulfide exhibits two major voltage regions in the discharge. The high voltage slope region is governed by the formation of persulfides and thiolates, and the low voltage plateau region is due to the formation of Li 2 S 2 /Li 2 S. Based on theoretical calculations and spectroscopic analysis, three reduction reaction processes are revealed, and the discharge products are identified. Lithium half cells with tetrasulfide catholytes deliver high specific capacities over 200 cycles. The effects of the functional groups on the electrochemical characteristics of tetrasulfides are investigated, which provides guidance for developing optimum aryl polysulfides as cathode materials for high energy lithium batteries.