Catalyst Degradation Mechanism Study of Lithium-Sulfur Batteries Based on Electrodeposition

Abstract

Lithium-sulfur batteries have emerged as a promising option for next-generation energy storage devices due to their high energy density and low cost. However, the two main obstacles for practical Li-S batteries are the notorious lithium polysulfide intermediate shuttle and the sluggish kinetics of sulfur cathodes, especially under lean electrolyte conditions. In this work, we propose a detailed plan to gain insight into the catalyst degradation mechanism based on electrodeposition by controlling the nucleation and deposition orientation of lithium sulfide. Firstly, we will explain why catalysts can be easily prepared by electrodeposition as cathode hosts, and others do not. Next, the key factors affecting catalysts' deactivation and cell degradation will be disclosed. Then, different types of metal catalysts with suitable particle sizes will be developed that are highly active and selective for Li-S cells. Ultimately, extensive data analysis will be performed to visualize the data and discover generalized rules for structure-activity correlation.