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Rational cathode configuration with bilayer membranes to engineer current-collector-free high-areal-sulfur lithium-sulfur batteries

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Abstract

The application of light-weight current collectors is preferred because of the increased energy density of the batteries. Bearing it in mind, the cathode is designed with self-made paperlike memberane as current collector coupled with another interlayer to enable the high-energy-density lithium-sulfur batteries. Via a facile and green step-by-step methodology, the hybrid membrane is finalized successfully, consisting of reduced graphene oxide sheets covering paper-derived carbon (GPC) bearing Fe@Fe2O3 and Fe1−xS@Fe2O3 core-shell nanoparticles (FeFeO/FeSFeO@GPC). The film works as the current collector and interlayer simultaneously considering the porous and conductive features. As demonstrated by the electrochemical testing, the FeFeO/FeSFeO@GPC hybrid cell exhibits attractive cycling stability and superior rate capability. The cell configuration and structural/composition merits of FeFeO/FeSFeO@GPC film facilitate the faster reaction kinetics, conducive to the improvement of capacity retention. In view of the effective cathode design, the areal sulfur loading is increased to 10.46 mg·cm−2 and a reversible capacity of 6.67 mAh·cm−2 can be retained after 60 cycles at 0.1 C.

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Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial supports provided by the National Natural Science Fund of China (No. U1764258), the Taishan Scholar Project Foundation of Shandong Province (No. ts20190908), and the Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province (No. ZR2021ZD05).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Taishan University, Tai’an, 271021, China

    Jianmei Han

  2. Key Laboratory of the Colloid and Interface Chemistry, Ministry of Education, and School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan, 250100, China

    Hua Zhang, Peng Wang, Ning Song, Baojuan Xi & Shenglin Xiong

  3. School of Mechanical Engineering, Chengdu University, Chengdu, 610106, China

    Xuguang An

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  1. Jianmei Han
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  2. Hua Zhang
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Correspondence to Jianmei Han or Shenglin Xiong.

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Rational cathode configuration with bilayer membranes to engineer current-collector-free high-areal-sulfur lithium-sulfur batteries

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Han, J., Zhang, H., Wang, P. et al. Rational cathode configuration with bilayer membranes to engineer current-collector-free high-areal-sulfur lithium-sulfur batteries. Nano Res. (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-024-6472-1

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