Carbon nanotube/zirconia composite-coated separator for a high-performance rechargeable lithium–sulfur battery

Bin Liu; Shan Wang; Xiaomeng Wu; Zhikang Liu; Zhaodongfang Gao; Chuanbin Li; Quanling Yang; Guo-Hua Hu; Chuanxi Xiong

doi:10.1063/1.5044486

AIP Advances (Oct 2018)

Carbon nanotube/zirconia composite-coated separator for a high-performance rechargeable lithium–sulfur battery

Bin Liu,
Shan Wang,
Xiaomeng Wu,
Zhikang Liu,
Zhaodongfang Gao,
Chuanbin Li,
Quanling Yang,
Guo-Hua Hu,
Chuanxi Xiong

Affiliations

Bin Liu: State Key Laboratory of Silicate Materials for Architectures, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070, China
Shan Wang: State Key Laboratory of Silicate Materials for Architectures, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070, China
Xiaomeng Wu: State Key Laboratory of Silicate Materials for Architectures, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070, China
Zhikang Liu: State Key Laboratory of Silicate Materials for Architectures, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070, China
Zhaodongfang Gao: State Key Laboratory of Silicate Materials for Architectures, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070, China
Chuanbin Li: State Key Laboratory of Silicate Materials for Architectures, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070, China
Quanling Yang: State Key Laboratory of Silicate Materials for Architectures, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070, China
Guo-Hua Hu: Laboratory of Reactions and Process Engineering (LRGP, CNRS UMR 7274), University of Lorraine–CNRS, 1 rue Grandville, BP 20451, 54001 Nancy, France
Chuanxi Xiong: State Key Laboratory of Silicate Materials for Architectures, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070, China

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5044486
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 8, no. 10
pp. 105315 – 105315-9

Abstract

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The shuttle effect caused by polysulfides remains a major issue hindering the application of lithium–sulfur (Li-S) batteries. In this work, a composite of organically modified carbon nanotube (CNT) and zirconia (ZrO2) nanoparticles is synthesized and used as a surface coating on a commercial Celgard separator to restrain the shuttle effect and improve battery performance. Electrolyte uptake and water contact angle measurements show that the CNT/ZrO2 composite-coated separator has an enhanced electrolyte wettability. Thermal shrinkage results reveal an improvement in the stability of the coated separators, especially at high temperatures. Electrochemical measurements also show the effectiveness of the CNT/ZrO2 composite-coated separator in a Li–S battery. The initial discharge capacity is improved after coating, as is the capacity retention rate. In addition, a battery with a CNT/ZrO2 composite-coated separator attains an impressive capacity reversibility as high as 91.7% in a rate performance test from 0.1 to 2 C. The composite coating restrains the shuttle effect effectively and improves the thermal shrinkage properties of the separator. Thus, the use of a CNT/ZrO2 composite-coated separator should improve the prospects for practical application of Li–S batteries.

Published in AIP Advances

ISSN: 2158-3226 (Online)
Publisher: AIP Publishing LLC
Country of publisher: United States
LCC subjects: Science: Physics
Website: http://aipadvances.aip.org/

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