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Optimization of Microporous Carbon Structures for Lithium–Sulfur Battery Applications in Carbonate‐Based Electrolyte
Author(s) -
Hu Lei,
Lu Yue,
Li Xiaona,
Liang Jianwen,
Huang Tao,
Zhu Yongchun,
Qian Yitai
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
small
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.785
H-Index - 236
eISSN - 1613-6829
pISSN - 1613-6810
DOI - 10.1002/smll.201603533
Subject(s) - microporous material , electrolyte , materials science , carbon fibers , sulfur , carbonization , chemical engineering , battery (electricity) , inorganic chemistry , lithium (medication) , chemistry , composite number , electrode , composite material , metallurgy , scanning electron microscope , medicine , power (physics) , physics , quantum mechanics , engineering , endocrinology
Developing appropriate sulfur cathode materials in carbonate‐based electrolyte is an important research subject for lithium‐sulfur batteries. Although several microporous carbon materials as host for sulfur reveal the effect, methods for producing microporous carbon are neither easy nor well controllable. Moreover, due to the complexity and limitation of microporous carbon in their fabrication process, there has been rare investigation of influence on electrochemical behavior in the carbonate‐based electrolyte for lithium‐sulfur batteries by tuning different micropore size(0–2 nm) of carbon host. Here, we demonstrate an immediate carbonization process, self‐activation strategy, which can produce microporous carbon for a sulfur host from alkali‐complexes. Besides, by changing different alkali‐ion in the previous complex, the obtained microporous carbon exhibits a major portion of ultramicropore (<0.7 nm, from 54.9% to 25.8%) and it is demonstrated that the micropore structure of the host material plays a vital role in confining sulfur molecule. When evaluated as cathode materials in a carbonate‐based electrolyte for Li‐S batteries, such microporous carbon/sulfur composite can provide high reversible capacity, cycling stability and good rate capability.