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Advanced-performance lithium-sulfur batteries with functional carbon interlayers modified by magnetron sputtering

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Abstract

Conductive carbon films (CF1) were made of carbonized filter paper and modified with titanium(Ti) and aluminum(Al) thin films deposited on their surface by radiofrequency magnetron sputtering to prepare carbon films CF2 and CF3 as functional interlayers for lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries, with the cathode material (S-AC) synthesized with elemental sulfur (S) and activated carbon (AC). Material characterization and electrochemical performance tests indicated that batteries (S/AC/CF1, S/AC/CF2, and S/AC/CF3), with carbon films inserted between the cathode and separator, showed improved electrochemical properties than S/AC without interlayers. In particular, S/AC/CF2 and S/AC/CF3 delivered initial discharge-specific capacities of 1257 and 1394 mAh/g, respectively, and reversible capacities of 836 and 889 mAh/g were obtained, with the Coulombic efficiency over 99%, after 100 cycles at the current rate of 0.5 C. Experiments showed that Ti and Al tiny particles plated on the surface of carbon interlayers can facilitate superior performance for Li-S batteries.

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Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge the support of the “Student’s Platform for Innovation and Entrepreneurship Training Program” of the Ministry of Education of China (No. 201710359071).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Materials Science and Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, 230009, Anhui, China

    Jing Zhang, Heqin Li, Yuanyuan Pan, Hao Zheng, Yan Wang, Qiong Tang, Yong Chen & Weiyu Qi

  2. School of Electronic Science and Applied Physics, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, 230009, Anhui, China

    Jing Zhang & Qiong Tang

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  1. Jing Zhang
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Correspondence to Heqin Li.

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Zhang, J., Li, H., Pan, Y. et al. Advanced-performance lithium-sulfur batteries with functional carbon interlayers modified by magnetron sputtering. Ionics 25, 513–521 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11581-018-2634-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11581-018-2634-z

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