Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 5, 2025
09:16
Synthesis of Terpolymers at Mild Temperatures Using Dynamic Sulfur Bonds in PolyS-Divinylbenzene
Published on: May 20, 2019
7.6K
Rationally Designed Binder with Polysulfide-Affinitive Moieties and Robust Network Structures for Improved
Taekyun Kwon1, Hengquan Guo1,2, Ji-Oh Kim1
1School of Chemical Engineering, Pusan National University, 2, Busandaehak-ro 63beong-gil, Geumjeong-gu, Busan, 46241, Republic of Korea.
Small (Weinheim an Der Bergstrasse, Germany)
|December 9, 2024
Summary
A novel crosslinked cationic waterborne polyurethane (CCWPU) binder enhances lithium-sulfur batteries (LSBs) by mitigating polysulfide shuttling and improving cycling stability. This binder boosts sulfur utilization and electrochemical performance for next-generation energy storage.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Electrochemistry
- Energy Storage
Background:
- Lithium-sulfur batteries (LSBs) offer high energy density but face challenges like sulfur insulation, volume expansion, and lithium polysulfide (LiPS) shuttling.
- Effective binders are crucial for LSB performance, needing mechanical stability and LiPS management capabilities.
Purpose of the Study:
- To design and evaluate a crosslinked cationic waterborne polyurethane (CCWPU) as a binder for LSBs.
- To address the limitations of sulfur insulation, volume expansion, and LiPS shuttling in LSBs.
- To improve the electrochemical performance and cycling stability of LSBs.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of a crosslinked cationic waterborne polyurethane (CCWPU).
- Application of CCWPU as a binder in LSB electrodes.
- Electrochemical testing including cycling performance and polarization analysis.
- Density functional theory (DFT) investigations to understand LiPS interactions.
Main Results:
- CCWPU binder exhibits mechanical robustness, accommodating sulfur volume expansion.
- Polar urethane groups and cationic moieties effectively mitigate LiPS shuttling via polar-polar interactions and confinement.
- DFT studies confirm enhanced LiPS immobilization, improving sulfur utilization.
- LSBs utilizing CCWPU show reduced polarization, higher LiPS conversion rates, and stable cycling.
Conclusions:
- CCWPU is a highly effective binder for LSBs, addressing key performance limitations.
- The binder's properties enhance electrochemical performance and cycling stability.
- Water-processability of CCWPU offers an environmentally conscious approach for advanced LSB development.
