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Titanium(III) Sulfide Nanoparticles Coated with Multicomponent Oxide (Ti–S–O) as a Conductive Polysulfide Scavenger for Lithium–Sulfur Batteries

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Abstract

In spite of the high specific capacity and energy density of Li–S batteries based on low-cost sulfur as the active material, their practical use has not yet been realized due to the undesirable formation of soluble polysulfides (PS) during electrochemical cycles and their shuttling effect. In order to minimize this serious issue caused by the active material dissolution, transition metal compounds such as oxides, nitrides, and sulfides have alternatively been used to capture the PS and also to provide electron pathways in the S electrode. However, high-performance additive materials having both high affinity to PS and high electronic conductivity have not been developed thus far. Herein, we report the preparation and application of a new additive material—titanium(III) sulfide (Ti2S3) nanoparticles covered with multicomponent (Ti–S–O) oxide (MO–Ti2S3), which can be synthesized on a large scale using an inductively-coupled thermal plasma synthesis method followed by a simple surface oxidation treatment. MO–Ti2S3 shows much higher PS affinity than other titanium compounds and electronic conductivity that is comparable to that of carbon black. Furthermore, MO–Ti2S3 shows much higher resistance to heat and oxidation while having charge–discharge stability when compared with TiS2. Finally, we show that the cyclability and specific capacity of the Li–S battery can be significantly enhanced by incorporating MO–Ti2S3 in the cathode when compared to utilizing C species.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Technology Innovation Program (or Industrial Strategic Technology Development Program (10062475, Development of copper substituting metal(Cu less than 0.5 wt%) and manufacturing the friction material using the metal for vehicle brake use) funded By the Ministry of Trade, Industry & Energy (MOTIE, Korea). This study was also supported financially by Fundamental Research Program “Development of High Performance Materials and Processes for Metal 3D Printing (PNK6050)” of the Korean Institute of Materials Science (KIMS).

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  1. Jaebeom Jeon and Jae Won Jeong have contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea

    Jaebeom Jeon & Yeon Sik Jung

  2. Powder Technology Department, Korea Institute of Materials Science (KIMS), 797 Changwondaero, Changwon, 51508, Republic of Korea

    Jae Won Jeong

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  1. Jaebeom Jeon
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Correspondence to Yeon Sik Jung.

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Jeon, J., Jeong, J.W. & Jung, Y.S. Titanium(III) Sulfide Nanoparticles Coated with Multicomponent Oxide (Ti–S–O) as a Conductive Polysulfide Scavenger for Lithium–Sulfur Batteries. Electron. Mater. Lett. 15, 613–622 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13391-019-00153-8

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