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Solid-state Graft Copolymer Electrolytes for Lithium Battery Applications
Published on: August 12, 2013
Bifunctional Binder with Nucleophilic Lithium Polysulfide Immobilization Ability for High-Loading, High-Thickness
Pauline Han1, Sheng-Heng Chung1, Chi-Hao Chang1
1Materials Science and Engineering Program & Texas Materials Institute , The University of Texas at Austin , Austin , Texas 78712 , United States.
Abstract:
Lithium-sulfur batteries remain a promising next-generation renewable energy storage device due to their high theoretical energy density over the current commercial lithium-ion battery technology. However, to have any practical viability toward reaching the theoretical value, high-loading cathodes with sufficient sulfur content and specifically the effect of nonconductive binders must be investigated. We consider the limitations of conventional binders for high-loading, high-thickness cathodes by integrating a bifunctional binder with a linear polyethylene chain and maleate-capped ends. The linear polymer allows for flexibility within the high-loading cathode whereas the maleate ends improve the polysulfide trapping ability with carbon-sulfur binding. With the strong polysulfide immobilization ability due to the nucleophilic binding, the binder achieves high sulfur loadings of 12 mg cm-2 with a high sulfur content of 80 wt %. The work serves as a proof of concept for exploring the incorporation of polymeric materials into sulfur cathodes to realize practical viability.
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In 1896, the German chemist Paul Walden discovered that he could interconvert pure enantiomeric (+) and (-) malic acids through a series of reactions. This conversion suggested the involvement of optical inversion during the substitution reaction. Further, in 1930, Sir Christopher Ingold described for the first time two different forms of nucleophilic substitution reactions, which are known as SN1 (nucleophilic substitution unimolecular) and SN2 (nucleophilic substitution...
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