Abstract
Lithium-sulfur (Li−S) batteries are regarded as one of the most promising next-generation energy storage systems due to their high theoretical energy density and low material cost. However, the conventional ether-based electrolytes of Li−S batteries are extremely flammable and have high solubility of lithium polysulfides (LiPS), resulting in a high safety risk and a poor life cycle. Herein, we report an ether/carbonate co-solvent fluorinated electrolyte with a special solvation sheath of Li+, which can prevent the formation of dissoluble long-chain LiPS of the sulfur cathode, restrict Li dendrite growth at the anode side, and show fire resistance in combustion experiments. As a result, the proposed Li−S batteries with 70 wt% sulfur content in its cathode deliver stable life cycle, low self-discharge ratio, and intrinsic safety. Therefore, the unique passivation characteristics of the designed fluorinated electrolyte break several critical limitations of the traditional “liquid phase”-based Li−S batteries, offering a facile and promising way to develop long-life and high-safety Li−S batteries.
摘要
锂硫(Li−S)电池因其高的理论能量密度和低廉的材料成本而被认为是最有前途的下一代储能系统之一. 然而, Li−S电池常规使用的醚类电解液极易燃烧, 且对多硫化锂具有高的溶解度, 导致电池安全风险高、循环寿命差. 基于此, 我们设计了一种具有的独特Li+溶剂化结构、 醚酯共溶的氟化电解液, 它可以阻止正极侧形成溶解性长链多硫化锂并抑制负极侧锂枝晶生长, 同时在燃烧实验中还表现出了不可燃性. 当Li−S电池中正极的硫含量高达 70 wt%时, 仍具有稳定的循环寿命、 低的自放电率以及高的安全性. 这种设计的氟化电解液所具有的独特钝化特征突破了传统液相Li−S电池的几个关键限制, 为开发长寿命、高安全性Li−S电池提供了一种简便且有前景的方法.
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Acknowledgements
The work was financially supported by the National Key R&D Program of China (2018YFB0905400) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (51972131 and 51632001). The authors thank the Analytical and Testing Center of HUST for the XRD, XPS, FESEM, and TEM measurements, and the State Key Laboratory of Materials Processing and Die and Mould Technology of HUST for TGA and BET measurements.
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Author contributions Li Z, Yuan L, and Chen X conceived the project; Chen X designed and engineered the samples; Ji H, Chen W, Wu J, and Hu F helped with the characterization. Chen X wrote the paper with support from Li Z and Huang Y. All authors contributed to the general discussion.
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Xue Chen received her BS degree from the College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering of Guizhou University (Guiyang). She is currently a PhD candidate at the School of Materials Science and Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST). Her research interest mainly focuses on lithium-sulfur batteries and the electrolytes.
Zhen Li received his PhD at HUST in 2014. He worked as a R&D engineer at Amperex Technology Limited (ATL) from 2009 to 2011, and worked as postdoctoral researcher at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) from 2015 to 2018. In 2018, he became a professor of materials science at HUST. His research interests are lithium-ion batteries, lithium-sulfur batteries, and solid-state batteries.
Yunhui Huang received his BS, MS and PhD from Peking University. From 2002 to 2004, he worked as an associate professor at Fudan University. He then worked with Prof. John B. Goodenough at the University of Texas at Austin from 2004 to 2008. In 2008, he became a chair professor of materials science at HUST. His research group works on the rechargeable batteries and electrode materials.
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In situ protection of a sulfur cathode and a lithium anode via adopting a fluorinated electrolyte for stable lithium-sulfur batteries
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Chen, X., Ji, H., Chen, W. et al. In situ protection of a sulfur cathode and a lithium anode via adopting a fluorinated electrolyte for stable lithium-sulfur batteries. Sci. China Mater. 64, 2127–2138 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40843-020-1621-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40843-020-1621-8