The C/S cathode with only 0.5 wt % binder, composed with Nafion and PVP, was assembled layer-by-layer for lithium-sulfur battery (Li-S) application. It achieved excellent binding strength and battery performance compared to the cathode with 10 wt % PVDF, which is promising to further increase the practical energy density of Li-S batteries.
The intrinsic properties of nanoscale active materials are always excellent for energy storage devices. However, the accompanying problems of ion/electron transport limitation and active materials shedding of the whole electrodes, especially for high‐loaded electrode composed of nanoparticles with high specific surface area, bring down their comprehensive performance for practical applications. Here, this problem is solved with the as proposed “phase inversion” method, which allows fabrication of tricontinuous structured electrodes via a simple, convenient, low cost, and scalable process. During this process, the binder networks, electron paths, and ion channels can be separately interconnected, which simultaneously achieves excellent binding strength and ion/electron conductivity. This is verified by constructing electrodes with sulfur/carbon (S/C) and Li3V2(PO4)3/C (LVP/C) nanoparticles, separately delivering 869 mA h g−1 at 1 C in Li–S batteries and 100 mA h g−1 at 30 C in Li–LVP batteries, increasing by 26% and 66% compared with the traditional directly drying ones. Electrodes with 7 mg cm−2 sulfur and 11 mg cm−2 LVP can also be easily coated on aluminum foil, with excellent cycling stability. Phase inversion, as a universal method to achieve high‐performance energy storage devices, might open a new area in the development of nanoparticle‐based active materials.
Catalytic carbon: Nitrogen‐doped porous carbon (CNx) electrocatalysts are derived from inexpensive melamine formaldehyde resins. These potential PEMFC catalysts are synthesized by using a facile method, which yields materials that contain a meso‐ and macroporous structure. The carbon‐based materials display attractive catalytic activity toward ORR and superior stability compared to a commercial Pt‐based catalyst.
Spherical carbon material with large pore volume and specific area was designed for lithium/sulfur (Li/S) soft package battery cathode with sulfur loading over 75%, exhibiting good capacity output (about 1300 mAh g(-1)-S) and excellent capacity retention (70% after 600 cycles) at 0.1 C. The spherical carbon is prepared via in situ steam etching method, which has the advantages of low cost and easy scale up.
A micron-sized honeycomb-like carbon material (MHC) is prepared in a facile way using nano-CaCO3 as a hard template. A novel electrode for lithium-oxygen batteries is fabricated and displays a superior discharge capacity as high as 5862 mA h g(-1). The higher electrode space utilization is attributed to its hierarchical pore structure, with intrinsic mesopores in the MHC particles for Li2O2 depositions and macropores among them for oxygen transport.
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