Cement/Sulfur for Lithium-Sulfur Cells.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Energy Storage

Background:

• Lithium-sulfur batteries offer high theoretical capacity but suffer from poor electrochemical utilization and stability.
• Existing materials lack tailored configurations to enhance performance.
• Cost-effectiveness and low toxicity are key drivers for next-generation energy storage.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a novel cement/sulfur composite for lithium-sulfur battery cathodes.
• To investigate the potential of cement's polysulfide adsorption for battery stability.
• To enhance cell fabrication parameters and overall battery performance.

Main Methods:

• Preparation of a cement/sulfur energy storage material.
• Fabrication of a cathode composite with high sulfur content (80 wt%) and loading (6.4 mg cm⁻²).
• Electrochemical testing to evaluate charge capacity, rate performance, and cycling stability.

Main Results:

• The cement/sulfur cathode composite demonstrated a high charge storage capacity of 1189 mA∙h g⁻¹.
• Excellent rate performance was observed across C/20 to C/3 rates.
• The cell exhibited an extended lifespan of 200 cycles with high active-material retention and utilization.
• Achieved areal capacities from 4.59 to 7.61 mA∙h cm⁻², energy densities from 9.63 to 15.98 mW∙h cm⁻², and gravimetric capacities of 573–951 mA∙h g⁻¹.

Conclusions:

• Cement, despite low conductivity, offers robust polysulfide adsorption beneficial for Li-S battery cathodes.
• The cement/sulfur cathode composite enhances fabrication feasibility and cell performance.
• This study pioneers a new approach using nonporous cement for advanced lithium-sulfur battery development.