Thiokol with Excellent Restriction on the Shuttle Effect in Lithium–Sulfur Batteries

Abstract

Commercial application of lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries is still greatly hampered by several issues, especially the shuttle effect of polysulfides. In this work, we proposed a simple but effective method to restrain the shuttle of the soluble polysulfides by adopting a novel binder of Thiokol in the sulfur cathode. Compared to the battery with conventional polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) binder, the initial discharge capacity for the battery with the Thiokol binder were increased by 42%, that is from 578 to 819 mAh/g, while the capacity after 200 cycles were increased by 201%, which is from 166 to 501 mAh/g. Besides, according to the rate capability test cycling from 0.1 to 1 C, the battery with the Thiokol binder still released a capacity amounting to 90.9% of the initial capacity, when the current density returned back to 0.1 C. Based on the UV-vis and ex situ XRD results, it is reasonably proposed that the reactions with polysulfides of the Thiokol help to restrain the shuttle effect of polysulfides. It is therefore suggested that the novel Thiokol binder holds promise for application in high-performance lithium-sulfur batteries.

Housing Sulfur in Polymer Composite Frameworks for Li–S Batteries

“…Thiokol, a type of synthetic polysulfide rubber, was also adopted as functional binder for restricted polysulfide shuttling in Li–S batteries by Liu et al [ 151 ]. The group proposed that the Thiokol could act as a kind of polysulfide scissor which could reduce the amount of long-chain PS, thereby reducing the PS shuttle.…”

Multifunctional binder designs for lithium-sulfur batteries

“…In the following study, they found the lithiated PBI binders in water yielded nanowire web morphologies ( Fig. 5 b) which increased the interfacial interaction between the active materials and binders [103] . 1.4-fold improvement in sulfur utilization at 3.0 C with the sulfur loading of 3 mg cm −2 and much higher discharge capacity after 400 cycles under 0.5 C were reached.…”

“…Besides above electroactive binders, some other binders are found to have electrocatalytic activity. For example, the thiokol binder can transfer long-chain soluble LiPSs to insoluble shortchain ones confirmed by UV-vis adsorption spectra, which is benefit to the long cycling stability [104] . However, the mechanism has not been well understood.…”

“…Copyright (2016) American Chemical Society. (b) Structure of PBI and deprotonation to yield water-soluble Li4 1, operando reduction of Li 4 1 to Li 6 1 and self-assembly of lithiated PBI[103] . Copyright (2018) American Chemical Society.…”

Exploring Chemical, Mechanical, and Electrical Functionalities of Binders for Advanced Energy-Storage Devices

“…Thiokol is a type of synthetic rubber polycondensationed by alkyl dihalide and alkali metal or alkaline earth metal polysulfide and proposed to act as a polysulfide scissor whose thiols could promote the breaking of the disulfide bonds in long-chain soluble polysulfides to form short-chain ones, thus reducing the polysulfide dissolution and shuttling behavior . A similar mechanism was also reported when using dithiothreitol as electrolyte additive for the suppressed shuttle effect .…”