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Mussel and Cobweb Inspired High Areal Capacity SPAN Electrode
Weijing Zuo1, Yawei Guo1, Chi Zhang1
1CAS Key Laboratory of Green Process and Engineering, Beijing Key Laboratory of Ionic Liquids Clean Process, State Key Laboratory of Multiphase Complex Systems, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, P. R. China.
Small (Weinheim an Der Bergstrasse, Germany)
|December 26, 2023
Summary
High-loading sulfurized polyacrylonitrile (SPAN) electrodes for lithium-sulfur batteries (LSBs) were developed using polydopamine (PDA) and carbon nanotubes (SWCNT). This approach enhances electrode integrity and enables high areal capacity and stable cycling performance in LSBs.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Electrochemistry
- Energy Storage
Background:
- Lithium-sulfur batteries (LSBs) offer high energy density but face challenges with electrode preparation.
- Sulfurized polyacrylonitrile (SPAN) shows promise for LSBs due to stability and cost-effectiveness.
- Achieving high active material (AM) loading in SPAN electrodes remains a significant hurdle.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a facile method for preparing high-loading SPAN electrodes for LSBs.
- To improve the electrochemical performance and cycle stability of SPAN-based LSBs.
- To leverage synergistic effects between coating materials and conductive additives for enhanced electrode integrity.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of SPAN electrodes utilizing polydopamine (PDA) coating and a slurry of single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) in polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP).
- Slurry casting process to achieve high active material (AM) loading.
- Electrochemical characterization including cycling tests and capacity retention measurements.
Main Results:
- A high areal capacity PDA@SPAN electrode of 18.40 mAh cm⁻² was achieved in the initial cycle.
- Negligible capacity attenuation was observed with increasing mass loading.
- Stable cycling performance was demonstrated with 92.0% capacity retention after 80 cycles and 87.18% after 160 cycles at high AM loading (7.16 mg cm⁻²).
Conclusions:
- The synergistic combination of PDA coating and SWCNT/PVP slurry effectively constructs electron-conducting networks and enables high AM ratios.
- The dynamic hydrogen bonding between PDA and PVP enhances electrode integrity during cycling.
- The developed method facilitates the preparation of high-performance, high-loading SPAN electrodes for advanced LSB applications.
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