Improving the electrochemical behavior of lithium-sulfur batteries through silica-coated nickel-foam cathode collector

Sung Ho Cho, Sung Man Cho, Ki Yoon Bae, Byung Hyuk Kim, Woo Young Yoon

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    23 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    A facile method that improves the initial specific capacity and capacity retention rate of lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries, using silica-back-coated nickel foam has been studied. A new cathode collector in which silica is back-coated onto the nickel foam is fabricated by a facile method that utilizes an ultrasonicator for reducing the electrolyte viscosity at the surface of the sulfur electrode using a polysulfide absorbent. The nickel foam provides more reaction sites than an aluminum current collector does, thus allowing the back-coated silica to absorb the polysulfides. This synergetic effect of nickel foam and silica suppresses the increasing viscosity of the electrolyte and leads to a higher initial specific capacity (1341 mAh/g) at a 0.2-C rate and a higher capacity retention rate after 150 cycles (85%), relative to pristine Li-S batteries (951 mAh/g and 79%, respectively).

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)366-372
    Number of pages7
    JournalJournal of Power Sources
    Volume341
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 2017 Feb 15

    Bibliographical note

    Funding Information:
    This study was supported by a grant from the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korean Government (MEST) (2016R1A2B3009481) and the Ministry of Knowledge Economy (MKE, Korea) (10045221)The sulfur concentrations of the samples were measured using an ICP-AES apparatus belonging to the Korea Basic Science Institute, Seoul Center.

    Publisher Copyright:
    © 2016 Elsevier B.V.

    Copyright:
    Copyright 2017 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.

    Keywords

    • Li-S cell
    • Nickel foam
    • Silica
    • Sulfur cathode

    ASJC Scopus subject areas

    • Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment
    • Energy Engineering and Power Technology
    • Physical and Theoretical Chemistry
    • Electrical and Electronic Engineering

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