Ruopian Fang

3D Interconnected Electrode Materials with Ultrahigh Areal Sulfur Loading for Li–S Batteries

Sulfur electrodes based on a 3D integrated hollow carbon fiber foam (HCFF) are synthesized with high sulfur loadings of 6.2-21.2 mg cm(-2) . Benefiting from the high electrolyte absorbability of the HCFF and the multiple conductive channels, the obtained electrode demonstrates excellent cycling stability and a high areal capacity of 23.32 mAh cm(-2) , showing great promise in commercially viable Li-S batteries.

More Reliable Lithium-Sulfur Batteries: Status, Solutions and Prospects

Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries have attracted tremendous interest because of their high theoretical energy density and cost effectiveness. The target of Li-S battery research is to produce batteries with a high useful energy density that at least outperforms state-of-the-art lithium-ion batteries. However, due to an intrinsic gap between fundamental research and practical applications, the outstanding electrochemical results obtained in most Li-S battery studies indeed correspond to low useful energy densities and are not really suitable for practical requirements. The Li-S battery is a complex device and its useful energy density is determined by a number of design parameters, most of which are often ignored, leading to the failure to meet commercial requirements. The purpose of this review is to discuss how to pave the way for reliable Li-S batteries. First, the current research status of Li-S batteries is briefly reviewed based on statistical information obtained from literature. This includes an analysis of how the various parameters influence the useful energy density and a summary of existing problems in the current Li-S battery research. Possible solutions and some concerns regarding the construction of reliable Li-S batteries are comprehensively discussed. Finally, insights are offered on the future directions and prospects in Li-S battery field.

Conductive porous vanadium nitride/graphene composite as chemical anchor of polysulfides for lithium-sulfur batteries

Although the rechargeable lithium–sulfur battery is an advanced energy storage system, its practical implementation has been impeded by many issues, in particular the shuttle effect causing rapid capacity fade and low Coulombic efficiency. Herein, we report a conductive porous vanadium nitride nanoribbon/graphene composite accommodating the catholyte as the cathode of a lithium–sulfur battery. The vanadium nitride/graphene composite provides strong anchoring for polysulfides and fast polysulfide conversion. The anchoring effect of vanadium nitride is confirmed by experimental and theoretical results. Owing to the high conductivity of vanadium nitride, the composite cathode exhibits lower polarization and faster redox reaction kinetics than a reduced graphene oxide cathode, showing good rate and cycling performances. The initial capacity reaches 1,471 mAh g−1 and the capacity after 100 cycles is 1,252 mAh g−1 at 0.2 C, a loss of only 15%, offering a potential for use in high energy lithium–sulfur batteries.

Toward More Reliable Lithium-Sulfur Batteries: An All-Graphene Cathode Structure.

Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries are attracting increasing interest due to their high theoretical specific energy density, low cost, and eco-friendliness. However, most reports of the high gravimetric specific capacity and long cyclic life are not practically reliable because of their low areal specific capacity derived from the low areal sulfur loading and low sulfur content. Here, we fabricated a highly porous graphene with high pore volume of 3.51 cm(3) g(-1) as the sulfur host, enabling a high sulfur content of 80 wt %, and based on this, we further proposed an all-graphene structure for the sulfur cathode with highly conductive graphene as the current collector and partially oxygenated graphene as a polysulfide-adsorption layer. This cathode structural design enables a 5 mg cm(-2) sulfur-loaded cathode showing both high initial gravimetric specific capacity (1500 mAh g(-1)) and areal specific capacity (7.5 mAh cm(-2)), together with excellent cycling stability for 400 cycles, indicating great promise for more reliable lithium-sulfur batteries.

A Sulfur‐Rich Copolymer@CNT Hybrid Cathode with Dual‐Confinement of Polysulfides for High‐Performance Lithium–Sulfur Batteries

A sulfur-rich copolymer@carbon nanotubes hybrid cathode is introduced for lithium-sulfur batteries produced by combining the physical and chemical confinement of polysulfides. The binderfree and metal-current-collector-free cathode of dual confinement enables an efficient pathway for the fabrication of high-performance sulfur copolymer carbon matrix electrodes for lithium-sulfur batteries.

Metal/Oxide Interface Nanostructures Generated by Surface Segregation for Electrocatalysis

Strong metal/oxide interactions have been acknowledged to play prominent roles in chemical catalysis in the gas phase, but remain as an unexplored area in electrocatalysis in the liquid phase. Utilization of metal/oxide interface structures could generate high performance electrocatalysts for clean energy storage and conversion. However, building highly dispersed nanoscale metal/oxide interfaces on conductive scaffolds remains a significant challenge. Here, we report a novel strategy to create metal/oxide interface nanostructures by growing mixed metal oxide nanoparticles on carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and then selectively promoting migration of one of the metal ions to the surface of the oxide nanoparticles and simultaneous reduction to metal. Employing this strategy, we have synthesized Ni/CeO2 nanointerfaces coupled with CNTs. The Ni/CeO2 interface promotes hydrogen evolution catalysis by facilitating water dissociation and modifying the hydrogen binding energy. The Ni/CeO2-CNT hybrid material exhibits superior activity for hydrogen evolution as a result of synergistic effects including strong metal/oxide interactions, inorganic/carbon coupling, and particle size control.

TiO2/graphene sandwich paper as an anisotropic electrode for high rate lithium ion batteries

We designed an anisotropic electrode, in which Li(+) ion insertion and diffusion are anisotropic, by controlled growth of TiO2 nanosheets parallel to the surface of graphene paper. The anisotropic electrode gives a gravimetric capacity of 112 mA h g(-1) at an ultra-high rate of 100 C (corresponding to 36 s of charge-discharge), 3 times higher than that of a referenced isotropic electrode. The results indicate that such an anisotropic electrode can be useful in the search for high-power lithium ion batteries.

The Regulating Role of Carbon Nanotubes and Graphene in Lithium–Ion and Lithium–Sulfur Batteries

The ever-increasing demands for batteries with high energy densities to power the portable electronics with increased power consumption and to advance vehicle electrification and grid energy storage have propelled lithium battery technology to a position of tremendous importance. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and graphene, known with many appealing properties, are investigated intensely for improving the performance of lithium-ion (Li-ion) and lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries. However, a general and objective understanding of their actual role in Li-ion and Li-S batteries is lacking. It is recognized that CNTs and graphene are not appropriate active lithium storage materials, but are more like a regulator: they do not electrochemically react with lithium ions and electrons, but serve to regulate the lithium storage behavior of a specific electroactive material and increase the range of applications of a lithium battery. First, metrics for the evaluation of lithium batteries are discussed, based on which the regulating role of CNTs and graphene in Li-ion and Li-S batteries is comprehensively considered from fundamental electrochemical reactions to electrode structure and integral cell design. Finally, perspectives on how CNTs and graphene can further contribute to the development of lithium batteries are presented.

Development of Graphene-based Materials for Lithium-Sulfur Batteries

Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries are promising electrochemical energy storage systems because of their high theoretical energy density, natural abundance, and environmental benignity. However, several problems such as the insulating nature of sulfur, high solubility of polysulfides, large volume variation of the sulfur cathode, and safety concerns regarding the lithium anode hinder the commercialization of Li-S batteries. Graphene-based materials, with advantages such as high conductivity and good flexibility, have shown effectiveness in realizing Li-S batteries with high energy density and high stability. These materials can be used as the cathode matrix, separator coating layer, and anode protection layer. In this review, the recent progress of graphene-based materials used in Li-S batteries, including graphene, functionalized graphene, heteroatom-doped graphene, and graphene-based composites, has been summarized. And perspectives regarding the development trend of graphene-based materials for Li-S batteries have been discussed.