Effect of properties of carbon materials on specific energy and cycling of lithium-sulfur batteries

Abstract

The effect of the structure and the specific surface area of carbon materials, contained in positive electrodes, on the peculiarities of cycling of lithium-sulfur cells (the depth of electrochemical reduction of sulfur and lithium polysulfides, the changes in capacity and Coulomb efficiency of cycling) was studied. The studies showed that the depth of electrochemical transformations of sulfur and lithium polysulfides depended not only on the specific surface area of the carbon material contained in positive electrodes, but also on the structure and the surface morphology of the carbon material particles.

Keywords

• lithium-sulfur batteries
• carbon materials
• specific surface area
• carbon blacks
• carbon nanotubes
• carbon fibers
• graphite
• graphene