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4-Aminobenzoic acid as an electrolyte additive for enhancing the electrochemical properties of the sulfurized polyacrylonitrile cathode in ether electrolyte

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Abstract

Sulfurized polyacrylonitrile (SPAN) is a polysulfide with high specific capacity due to its stable bonding structure. Although it is able to exhibit good electrochemical performance in ester electrolytes, its capacity in ether electrolyte decays rapidly, accompanied by shuttle effects. Herein, 4-aminobenzoic acid (4-ABA) was selected as an additive for ether electrolytes to inhibit shuttling of polysulfides. The CV curves of Li-Al cells and reconstituted cells together verified that the addition of 4-ABA had an effect on the SPAN cathode but not on the lithium anode. Further characterizations revealed that the SPAN cathode surface was protected by cathode electrolyte interphase (CEI) formed in electrolyte containing 4-ABA. Compared with the blank electrolyte, the cell with electrolyte containing 4-ABA exhibited better cycling performance, with a reversible capacity of 1178.73 mAh g−1 after 100 cycles at 0.5 C, with a capacity retention of 88.81%. These results show that the proper design of electrolyte additives is an effective way to enhance the performance of SPAN.

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Funding

The authors gratefully acknowledge the supports from the Venture & Innovation Support Program for Chongqing Overseas Returnees (cx2019128) and Open project of Key Laboratory of Catalysis Science and Technology of Chongqing Education Commission (Chongqing Technology and Business University, KFJJ2022012).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chongqing University of Technology, Chongqing, 400054, China

    Xiaojia Zheng, Fangfang Zou, Hao Yang, Xu Su & Xuebu Hu

  2. Key Laboratory of Catalysis Science and Technology of Chongqing Education Commission, College of Environment and Resources, Chongqing Technology and Business University, Chongqing, 400067, China

    Xuecheng Liu

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Zheng, X., Zou, F., Yang, H. et al. 4-Aminobenzoic acid as an electrolyte additive for enhancing the electrochemical properties of the sulfurized polyacrylonitrile cathode in ether electrolyte. Ionics 29, 3663–3671 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11581-023-05118-4

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