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Lithium-sulfur battery cathodes made of porous biochar support CoFe@NC metal nanoparticles derived from Prussian blue analogues

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Abstract

Li–S batteries are considered as candidates for the next-generation secondary batteries due to their high energy density (~ 1672 mAh g−1). However, poor conductivity and shuttle effect have become the major obstacles for their development. In the present investigation, we prepared porous biochar-coated metal nanoparticles CoFe@NC/PPC by loading the Prussian blue analogues onto the biomass pomelo peel (PP), followed by calcination. Both rich nitrogen-doped pore structure and CoFe nanoparticles can reduce the shuttle effect in the cycle, and biochar can enhance the conductivity of the sulfur cathode, promoting the complete reaction of sulfur. It is found that after being sulfur-injected and made into a button cell, it exhibits good electrochemical performance. The initial specific capacity was found to be close to 915.6 mAh g−1 at 1 C and it remained at 447.4 mAh g−1 after 500 cycles with a coulombic efficiency of 97.3%.

1. A CoFe metal particles coated nitrogen-doped porous carbon (CoFe@NC/PPC) derived from Prussian blue analogue/biomass.

2. Li–S batteries with S/CoFe@NC/PPC cathodes deliver good electrochemical performance.

3. The synergism between NC/PPC and CoFe reduces the shuttle effect and improves the performance of sulfur cathode.

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Funding

The Fundamental Research Funds of the Central Universities (2013QNA48), Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province of China (BK20160239), Key Laboratory of Coal-based CO2 Capture and Geological Storage, Jiangsu Province (China University of Mining and Technology) (Project Number: 2016B06) and Science and Technology Project of Xuzhou City (KC18063) financially supported the study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Information and Control Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou, 221008, Jiangsu, China

    Shengyu Jing, Ping Ding & Yongliang Zhang

  2. Department of Mechanical Engineering, School of Engineering, University of Thessaly, Pedion Areos, 38834, Volos, Greece

    Shengyu Jing & Panagiotis Tsiakaras

  3. Low Carbon Energy Institute, School of Materials Science and Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou, 221008, Jiangsu, China

    Huagen Liang

  4. Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Coal-based Greenhouse Gas Control and Utilization, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou, 221008, Jiangsu, China

    Huagen Liang

  5. Guangxi Key Laboratory for Electrochemical Energy Materials, Collaborative Innovation Center of Renewable Energy Materials (CICREM), State Key Laboratory of Processing Non-ferrous Metal and Featured Materials, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530004, China

    Shibin Yin

  6. Institute of High Temperature Electrochemistry, RAS, Yekaterinburg, Russia, 620990

    Panagiotis Tsiakaras

  7. Ural Federal University, 19 Mira Str., Yekaterinburg, Russia, 620002

    Panagiotis Tsiakaras

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  1. Shengyu Jing
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Jing, S., Ding, P., Zhang, Y. et al. Lithium-sulfur battery cathodes made of porous biochar support CoFe@NC metal nanoparticles derived from Prussian blue analogues. Ionics 25, 5297–5304 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11581-019-03065-7

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