Effects of CeO2 Nano-crystal on Electrochemical Properties of Lithium/Sulfur Batteries

doi:10.15541/jim20140671

Abstract

Abstract:

The CeO₂ nano-crystal less than 10 nm was fabricated by using thermal decomposition method with Ce(OH)₄ as the raw material. CeO₂ nano-crystal with abundant -OH and -NO₂ was used as the additive in the sulfur cathode. The additive can adsorb sulfur and lithium polysulfides during charge/discharge process, suppressing the dissloving and migrating of lithium polysulfides in the electrolyte. Thus the “shuttle effect” caused by dissloving of lithium polysulfides can be evidently inhibited, resulting in the enhanced cycle performance and the improved coulombic efficiency of Li-S battery. Furthermore, CeO₂ nano-crystal with abundant -OH and -NO₂ is beneficial to enhance the wettability between electrolyte and sulfur cathode, improving the utilization rate of active material. With 5wt% CeO₂ nano-crystal added in the sulfur cathode, the discharge capacities at 0.1C and 0.5C (1C=1675 mA/g) after 100 cycles are as high as 750 mAh/g and 598 mAh/g, respectively, both much higher than those of the sulfur cathode without CeO₂ nanocrystal. Simultaneously, the resistance of the cell is also reduced evidently before and after cycling owing to the addition of CeO₂ nano-crystal in the cathode.

Key words: lithium-sulfur battery, CeO2 nano-crastal, additive, cycle performance

CLC Number:

TQ174

MA Guo-Qiang, WEN Zhao-Yin, WANG Qing-Song, JIN Jun, WU Xiang-Wei, ZHANG Jing-Chao. Effects of CeO₂ Nano-crystal on Electrochemical Properties of Lithium/Sulfur Batteries[J]. Journal of Inorganic Materials, 2015, 30(9): 913-918.

Figures/Tables 8

Fig. 1 (a) TEM image of CeO2 nano-crystal and (b) SEM image of the acetylene black

Fig. 2 FTIR spectrum of CeO2 nano-crystal

Fig. 3 SEM image of S/AB/CeO2 composite (a) and correspoding HAADF image (b), and element Ce (c), C (d) and S (e) maping of the same domain

Fig. 4 SEM morphologies of sulfur electrodes (a) before cycling, (b) without CeO2 after 50 cycles, (c) with CeO2 before cycling and (d) with CeO2 after 50 cycles

Fig. 5 CV curves (a) and discharge curves (b) of the sulfur cathode with and without CeO2 nano-crystal

Fig. 6 Cycling performance (a) and coulombic efficiencies (b) of the sulfur cathode before and after the addition of CeO2 nano-crystal

Fig. 7 Rate capabilities of the sulfur cathode with and without CeO2 nanocrystal

Fig. 8 AC impedance spectra of the sulfur cathode with and without CeO2 nano-crystal

References 35

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Effects of CeO₂ Nano-crystal on Electrochemical Properties of Lithium/Sulfur Batteries

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