In‐situ growth of ultrathin sulfur microcrystal on MXene‐based 3D matrice for flexible lithium–sulfur batteries

Abstract

Lithium–sulfur batteries (Li‐S batteries) are promising next‐generation energy storage systems because of their high‐theoretical energy density. However, the commercialization of Li‐S batteries is still impeded by the aggregation of sulfur, low‐sulfur utilization, shuttling of dissolved polysulfides and sluggish reaction kinetics. Herein, we designed a hierarchically maple leaf‐like structured sulfur electrodes by in‐situ growth of ultrathin sulfur microcrystal on two‐dimensional MXene‐graphene‐cellulose nanofiber (MGN) matrice (denoted as IS‐MGN@S). The sulfur microcrystal as cathode can achieve improved kinetics than bulk sulfur due to its few layers of sulfur atoms, which is proved by the density functional theory calculations. The MXene not only confines polysulfides through strong chemisorption but also promotes the catalytic conversion of polysulfides. The introduction of graphene improves the conductivity and boosts the immobilization and conversion of polysulfides. As a result, the IS‐MGN@S cathode demonstrates remarkable electrochemical properties with a high‐initial capacity (1229 mAh g−1 at 0.2C), substantial improvement in rate capability (770 mAh g−1 at 2C), and stable long‐term cycling capacity. Moreover, the pouch cells with IS‐MGN@S cathode and gel electrolyte demonstrate excellent mechanical properties under mechanical damage (nail & cut tests, severe deformations), suggesting their promising applications for wearable electronic devices.

Are batteries fit for hybrid-electric regional aircraft?

“…Once the challenges are mastered, commercial availability could be expected around year 2035. From material research, Li-S battery based on S-carbon nanofibers [38] and MXene-graphene-cellulose nanofiber matrice cathodes [39] have been proposed, showing a maximum specific capacity of around 1200 mAh/g and stable cycling for several hundreds to several thousands of cycles.…”

Single‐atom electrocatalysts for lithium–sulfur chemistry: Design principle, mechanism, and outlook

“…It can be concluded that SACs can effectively enable the comprehensive management of suppression of the LiPS shuttle effect, promotion of sulfur reactions, and lithium metal anode optimization toward long‐life LSBs. An LSB system involves complex phase conversion reactions that result in unclear correlations between sulfur conversion and lithium evolution 122–126 . Therefore, identification of the working mechanism of SACs in lithium dissolution, and transfer and deposition behaviors is still an intractable challenge.…”

“…Fe Fe-N Li foil [121] reactions that result in unclear correlations between sulfur conversion and lithium evolution. [122][123][124][125][126] Therefore, identification of the working mechanism of SACs in lithium dissolution, and transfer and deposition behaviors is still an intractable challenge.…”

A Gradient Doping Strategy toward Superior Electrochemical Performance for Li‐Rich Mn‐Based Cathode Materials

“…The flourishing market of electric vehicles requires increasing energy density, cyclic stability, and safety performance for energy storage devices. [1][2][3] However, the energy output of recent lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) is restricted by relatively low-energy densities of current commercial cathode materials such as LiCoO 2 , LiFePO 4 , and LiMn 1/3 Co 1/3 Ni 1/3 O 2 . [4,5] Lithium-rich layered oxides (LLOs) with an ultrahigh energy density of over 1000 Wh kg −1 and low cost are regarded as one of the most promising cathode materials for next-generation LIBs.…”