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Critical Role of Functional Groups Containing N, S, and O on Graphene Surface for Stable and Fast Charging Li‐S Batteries
Author(s) -
Sun Jinhua,
Hwang JangYeon,
Jankowski Piotr,
Xiao Linhong,
Sanchez Jaime S.,
Xia Zhenyuan,
Lee Suyeong,
Talyzin Alexandr V.,
Matic Aleksandar,
Palermo Vincenzo,
Sun YangKook,
Agostini Marco
Publication year - 2021
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.202007242
Subject(s) - graphene , materials science , electrochemistry , density functional theory , heteroatom , cathode , oxide , lithium (medication) , surface modification , doping , nanotechnology , chemical engineering , kinetics , carbon fibers , ion , composite number , electrode , optoelectronics , chemistry , computational chemistry , organic chemistry , composite material , medicine , ring (chemistry) , physics , quantum mechanics , endocrinology , engineering , metallurgy
Lithium‐sulfur (Li‐S) batteries are considered one of the most promising energy storage technologies, possibly replacing the state‐of‐the‐art lithium‐ion (Li‐ion) batteries owing to their high energy density, low cost, and eco‐compatibility. However, the migration of high‐order lithium polysulfides (LiPs) to the lithium surface and the sluggish electrochemical kinetics pose challenges to their commercialization. The interactions between the cathode and LiPs can be enhanced by the doping of the carbon host with heteroatoms, however with relatively low doping content (<10%) in the bulk of the carbon, which can hardly interact with LiPs at the host surface. In this study, the grafting of versatile functional groups with designable properties (e.g., catalytic effects) directly on the surface of the carbon host is proposed to enhance interactions with LiPs. As model systems, benzene groups containing N/O and S/O atoms are vertically grafted and uniformly distributed on the surface of expanded reduced graphene oxide, fostering a stable interface between the cathode and LiPs. The combination of experiments and density functional theory calculations demonstrate improvements in chemical interactions between graphene and LiPs, with an enhancement in the electrochemical kinetics, power, and energy densities.