Enhanced Stable and High Voltage of Li/SOCl2 Battery Catalyzed by FePc Particulates Fixed on Activated Carbon Substrates

Abstract

Efficient catalysts for the reduction reaction of SOCl2 are desired for lithium/thionyl chloride batteries with high and stable voltage. In this work, iron phthalocyanine particulates fixed on activated carbon substrates (FePc/AC) are synthesized by an in situ solid approach under the temperatures lower than 300 °C. U–T curves, the value distance to the average U, dU/dT via mathematical differentiation and numerical analysis were employed to investigate to the catalytic reduction of SOCl2 systematically. The U–T curve of the battery containing the FePc/AC displays almost perfect rectangle profile. The average voltage of the battery contains the FePc/AC is 3.00 V, 0.21 V higher than that without the catalysts. After discharge, the surface of the carbon cathode containing FePc/AC displays a well-constructed loose morphology composed of LiCl nanoparticles around 100 nm in diameter. The inside of carbon cathode shows a dense morphology with a mount of nano holes around 50 nm, indicating that the formed LiCl permeates into the interior of the carbon cathode, attributing to that the FePc/AC nanocomposite catalysts facilitate the reduction of SOCl2, leading the formation loose LiCl film in nano scale for electrolyte SOCl2 and the formed LiCl diffusion.