Stable and improved voltage plate of Li/SOCl2 battery using carbon electrodes with active carbon

Abstract

Active carbon (AC) is synthesized using pitch coke as a precursor with a KOH activation approach followed. AC with different specific surface areas can be obtained by controlling the activation time of KOH. The activation time of AC1, AC2 and AC3 is 1 h, 1.5 h and 2 h, with the surface areas of 1233, 1484 and 1639 m2 g−1, respectively. The phase, surface chemical structure, morphology as well as the microstructure of the AC are investigated by XRD, Raman, IR, XPS, BET, SEM and TEM. The obtained ACs displayed a size around 300 μm with lots of nanoholes and functional group involving –OH, –COOH. When employed as the catalytic active materials in the carbon cathodes for Li/SOCl2 batteries, the discharged voltage was improved to around 0.15 V with an enhanced stable platform. Whereas the energy of the batteries containing the ACs is similar as that the conventional batteries, as well as the morphology of the carbon cathode with ACs exhibited a dense LiCl on the surface, suggesting that the ACs can enhance the reduction reaction of SOCl2, but could not act as the nucleation sites for the synthesis of nanoscale LiCl to form a loose film for a long discharge life.