Lithium-Sulfur Batteries: The Effect of High Sulfur Loading on the Electrochemical Performance

Abstract

Sulfur as a cathode material is a well-known candidate for next generation Li metal-based batteries. However, the intrinsic limitations associated with low conductivity of sulfur and instability of Li metal anode prevents the commercialization of lithium sulfur batteries. Many researches have studied the cathode design to improve the electrochemical performance. However, not many have emphasized on the high sulfur and minimal electrolyte loadings to compete against the currently available Li-ion batteries. Here, we use binder-free three-dimensional carbon nanotubes (3D CNTs)/sulfur (S) as a cathode material to test different electrolyte to sulfur ratios (E/S ratio of 6 to 10). We also pair the cathode against the MoS2-protected Li anode for enhanced electrochemical performance and cycling stability. Thus, we obtain a reversible specific capacity of ~930 mAh g-1 for up to 1000 cycles.