Clout of carbon in polyacrylonitrile/sulfur composite cathode via solution processing technique for lithium-sulfur batteries

Abstract

A bamboo-like carbon scaffold poly (acrylonitrile) (PAN)–sulfur–composite electrode was prepared by a solution-processing technique. The Kombucha scoby derived carbon (KC) contains ample meso porous nature which is not only for anchoring active sulfur but also preventing the dissolution of polysulfides during the cycling process. A PAN–sulfur–carbon cathode made with 56 wt% sulfur loading delivered an initial discharge capacity of 1444 mAh g−1 at 0.1 C rate with 98% of Coulombic efficiency and high capacity retention of 1044 mAh g− 1 during the 60th cycle due to its peculiar morphology of the prepared composite cathode material obtained by solution processing technique.