Electrochemical performances of KOH activated carbon coated vanadium oxide with sucrose as carbon source for sulfur immobilizers of lithium-sulfur batteries

doi:10.1016/j.seta.2020.100947

Sustainable Energy Technologies and Assessments

Volume 43, February 2021, 100947

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seta.2020.100947 Get rights and content

Abstract

Lithium-sulfur batteries due to high theoretical specific capacity have attracted extensive attention for many years. In this paper, we obtain a type of KOH activated sucrose carbonization coated V₂O₅ as sulfur immobilizers. X-ray diffraction and Raman spectrum tests illustrate that after carbon coating and sulfur loading, the V₂O₅ has been transformed into low valence vanadium oxide (VO₂) and carbon has a high defect concentration after KOH activated. Scanning electron microscopy observes that the micromorphology of V₂O₅@C matrix materials with the ratio of V₂O₅ and sucrose to 1:3 shows a rose-like shape and lamellar thickness can be controlled below 100 nm. And after sulfur loading, the morphology of the original matrix material can still be maintained even at sulfur loading mass ratio to 1:5.

Cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy tests show that this cathode in the proportions of V₂O₅@C and S to 1:4 has the greatest superb electrochemical reversibility and the fastest electron transport rate. Charge and discharge tests show that the initial specific discharge capacities can respectively achieve to 831.54, 736.95 and 670.00 mAh.g⁻¹ at 0.05, 0.1 and 0.2C current rate and can be stable 100 charge and discharge cycles at 0.2C.

Introduction

Nowadays, lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries have attracted extensive attention of many researchers due to high theoretical specific capacity (1675 mAh.g⁻¹) and energy density (2600 Wh.Kg⁻¹), which are much higher than conventional electrochemical energy storage system [1], [2], [3], [4], [5], [6]. These excellent electrochemical properties make lithium-sulfur batteries act as one of the most promising power systems for high performance electric vehicles. However, the low conductivity and volume expansion of sulfur and the shuttle effect of polysulfides seriously affect their specific capacity and cycle life, which limit commercial value and the prospects for development. In order to overcome these problems, a large number of researchers have carried sulfur to other matrix material. By utilizing the interaction between sulfur and matrix materials, it can increase the conductivity of sulfur cathode and inhibit the volume expansion of sulfur and shuttle effect of polysulfide discharge products.

For a long time, carbon materials as ideal electrode material used in a variety of energy storage [7], [8] have been regarded as the most promising sulfur loaded matrix materials for lithium-sulfur batteries [9], [10], [11]. At the moment, it can be found that metal oxides owing to their stable electrochemical properties [12] can also be used as sulfur immobilizers for lithium-sulfur batteries with superb electrochemical performances [13], [14], [15], [16]. In the composite cathode material, sulfur can interact with M−O bond (M- metal) in order to form an effective M−S−O structure, which can effectively inhibit the shuttle effect of polysulfides [17], [18]. Liang et al [19] reported a three-dimensional (3D) structure hydrogen reduced TiO₂ and as sulfur immobilizers for lithium-sulfur batteries. They found that TiO₂ and S can form chemical adsorption owing to some oxygen vacancies. The specific capacity can achieve to 1100 mAh.g⁻¹ and still at 890 mAh.g⁻¹ after 200 charge and discharge cycles.

V₂O₅ is traditional electrode material and widely used for lithium-ion batteries [20], [21] and supercapacitors [22]. In our previous research [23], we find that a part of oxygen atoms in vanadium pentoxide can be removed by sulfur to form non-stoichiometric vanadium oxide at a high temperature condition. However, V₂O₅ is still not considered as a very ideal sulfur immobilizer because of its low conductivity. Therefore, improving the electrical conductivity has become the focus of the research. Carbon coating is an effective and commonly medium to improve the electrical conductivity, which is widely used in the preparation of high-performance lithium-ion battery electrode materials. And many research results show that the different types of carbon sources have a great impact on the material structure and electrochemical properties [24], [25], [26].

In this paper, V₂O₅ is carbon coated with sucrose as carbon sources and then activated by KOH. Sucrose owing to its high carbon content and excellent solubility has become one of the ideal carbon sources and KOH as an activation agent can effectively increase sulfur loading effect [27], [28].

Section snippets

Sucrose carbonization coated V₂O₅ and KOH activated

(1) Sucrose carbonization coated V₂O₅ Firstly, a certain proportion of V₂O₅ and sucrose was weighed with a proper amount of distilled water in order to obtain a mixture. After that, a type of viscous syrup can be gradually formed accompanied by the uniform dispersion of V₂O₅ particles under intense stirring at 90 °C temperature. After the syrup was dried up, the obtained sample was pre-sintered at 300 °C for 2 h and then high temperature sintered at 600 °C for 6 h in an argon atmosphere. At

Results and discussion

Fig. 2 is XRD patterns of carbon coated V₂O₅ with different proportions of sucrose and sulfur loading. From the figure, it can be shown that V₂O₅ has become a low valence vanadium oxide (V₂O₃(PDF# 65–9474) in the process of interaction with carbon. When proportions of sucrose are 1:2 and 1:3, we can discover obvious XRD patterns of V₂O₃, but when the proportion is 1:4, XRD diffraction peaks become less obvious. This is primarily because that the crystal structure of vanadium oxide is seriously

Conclusions

A type of KOH activated sucrose carbonization coated V₂O₅ is synthesized and as sulfur immobilizers for lithium-sulfur batteries. By comparing different proportions of the sucrose as carbon source and sulfur loading, we can conclude that after carbon coating and sulfur loading, the V₂O₅ has been transformed into low valence vanadium oxide (V₂O₃ or VO₂) and carbon has a high defect concentration after KOH activated. When the ratio of V₂O₅ and sucrose is 1:3, the micromorphology of V₂O₅@C matrix

Declaration of Competing Interest

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Acknowledgments

This work is supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (22075030), Support Program of Distinguished Professor of Liaoning Province (No.071717002) and Natural Science Foundation of Liaoning Province (No. 20180510013). The project is also supported by Program for Liaoning BaiQianWan Talents in University (No.201797) and Science and technology general project of Liaoning province education department (No.LQ2020009 and LZ2020002).

Author statement

Firstly, thank you very much for giving us the opportunity to revise the manuscript. This manuscript has been revised carefully according to reviewer’s comments and a separate attachment for responding to reviews has been uploaded. All revisions have been highlighted and look forwards for beneficial n

ews. At last, thank you very much again for your help.

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Original articleElectrochemical performances of KOH activated carbon coated vanadium oxide with sucrose as carbon source for sulfur immobilizers of lithium-sulfur batteries

Abstract

Introduction

Section snippets

Sucrose carbonization coated V2O5 and KOH activated

Results and discussion

Conclusions

Declaration of Competing Interest

Acknowledgments

Author statement

Electrochim Acta

Electrochim Acta

Chem Eng J

J Power Sources

Energy Storage Mater

Electrochim Acta

Electrochim Acta

Electrochim Acta

Electrochim Acta

J Power Sources

Electrochim Acta

Carbon

J Power Sources

Carbon

Appl Surf Sci

J Power Sources

Electrochim Acta

Bifunctional NiCo 2 S 4 catalysts supported on a carbon textile interlayer for ultra-stable Li–S battery

J Mater Chem A

Original article
Electrochemical performances of KOH activated carbon coated vanadium oxide with sucrose as carbon source for sulfur immobilizers of lithium-sulfur batteries

Sucrose carbonization coated V₂O₅ and KOH activated