Highly stable performance of lithium-sulfurized polyacrylonitrile batteries using a lean ether-based electrolyte

Area of Science:

• Electrochemistry
• Materials Science
• Energy Storage

Background:

• Lithium dendrite formation is a primary obstacle for stable lithium metal battery operation.
• Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries offer high theoretical energy density but suffer from polysulfide shuttle effects and dendrite growth.
• Developing electrolytes that mitigate these issues is crucial for advancing Li-S battery technology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a novel ether-based electrolyte for lithium-sulfurized polyacrylonitrile (Li-S/PAN) batteries.
• To enhance the stability and performance of Li-S/PAN batteries using a lean electrolyte formulation.
• To suppress lithium dendrite growth and the polysulfide shuttle effect.

Main Methods:

• Formulation of a specialized ether-based electrolyte.
• Implementation of the electrolyte in Li-S/PAN battery configurations with lean electrolyte conditions.
• Evaluation of battery performance metrics including specific capacity, capacity fading rate, and stability under high areal capacity.

Main Results:

• The proposed ether-based electrolyte effectively suppressed lithium dendrite formation.
• The electrolyte mitigated the shuttle effect of lithium polysulfides, maintaining low volatility.
• Li-S/PAN batteries achieved a reversible specific capacity of 670 mA h g⁻¹ at a lean electrolyte level of 7 μl mg⁻¹.
• Exceptional cycling stability was demonstrated with a capacity fading rate of only 0.08% per cycle over 300 cycles at a high areal capacity of 4 mA h cm⁻².

Conclusions:

• The developed ether-based electrolyte significantly enhances the stability and performance of Li-S/PAN batteries.
• This electrolyte formulation offers a promising solution for overcoming key challenges in lithium metal battery technology.
• The findings pave the way for practical, high-energy-density lithium-sulfur batteries.