WO<sub>3</sub> Nanowire/Carbon Nanotube Interlayer as a Chemical Adsorption Mediator for High-Performance Lithium-Sulfur Batteries

oleh: Sang-Kyu Lee, Hun Kim, Sangin Bang, Seung-Taek Myung, Yang-Kook Sun

Format: Article
Diterbitkan: MDPI AG 2021-01-01

Deskripsi

We developed a new nanowire for enhancing the performance of lithium-sulfur batteries. In this study, we synthesized WO<sub>3</sub> nanowires (WNWs) via a simple hydrothermal method. WNWs and one-dimensional materials are easily mixed with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) to form interlayers. The WNW interacts with lithium polysulfides through a thiosulfate mediator, retaining the lithium polysulfide near the cathode to increase the reaction kinetics. The lithium-sulfur cell achieves a very high initial discharge capacity of 1558 and 656 mAh g<sup>−1</sup> at 0.1 and 3 C, respectively. Moreover, a cell with a high sulfur mass loading of 4.2 mg cm<sup>−2</sup> still delivers a high capacity of 1136 mAh g<sup>−1</sup> at a current density of 0.2 C and it showed a capacity of 939 mAh g<sup>−1</sup> even after 100 cycles. The WNW/CNT interlayer maintains structural stability even after electrochemical testing. This excellent performance and structural stability are due to the chemical adsorption and catalytic effects of the thiosulfate mediator on WNW.