Graphene-Modified Electrodeposited Dendritic Porous Tin Structures as Binder Free Anode for High Performance Lithium-Sulfur Batteries

Applications of Carbon in Rechargeable Electrochemical Power Sources: A Review

Rechargeable power sources are an essential element of large-scale energy systems based on renewable energy sources. One of the major challenges in rechargeable battery research is the development of electrode materials with good performance and low cost. Carbon-based materials have a wide range of properties, high electrical conductivity, and overall stability during cycling, making them suitable materials for batteries, including stationary and large-scale systems. This review summarizes the latest progress on materials based on elemental carbon for modern rechargeable electrochemical power sources, such as commonly used lead–acid and lithium-ion batteries. Use of carbon in promising technologies (lithium–sulfur, sodium-ion batteries, and supercapacitors) is also described. Carbon is a key element leading to more efficient energy storage in these power sources. The applications, modifications, possible bio-sources, and basic properties of carbon materials, as well as recent developments, are described in detail. Carbon materials presented in the review include nanomaterials (e.g., nanotubes, graphene) and composite materials with metals and their compounds.

A new high-capacity and safe energy storage system: lithium-ion sulfur batteries

Lithium-ion sulfur batteries as a new energy storage system with high capacity and enhanced safety have been emphasized, and their development has been summarized in this review. The lithium-ion sulfur battery applies elemental sulfur or lithium sulfide as the cathode and lithium-metal-free materials as the anode, which can be divided into two main types. One is anode-type, where elemental sulfur is applied as the cathode, and the anode provides lithium ions. The other one is cathode-type, where lithium sulfide as the cathode provides lithium ions, and lithium-metal-free materials (e.g., graphite, silicon/carbon) function as the anode. Recently, some new lithium-ion sulfur battery systems have also been proposed, and are discussed in this review as well. The lithium-ion sulfur batteries not only maintain the advantage of high energy density because of the high capacities of sulfur and lithium sulfide, but also exhibit the improved safety of the batteries due to a non-lithium-metal in the anode. This review paper aims to track the recent progress in the development of lithium-ion sulfur batteries and summarize the challenges and the approaches for improving their electrochemical performances, including the lithiation methods to prepare lithium-metal-free anodes in anode-type lithium-ion sulfur batteries and the lithium sulfide cathode modification approaches in cathode-type lithium-ion sulfur batteries. Furthermore, the challenges and perspectives for future research and commercial applications have also been enumerated.

Anode Interface Engineering and Architecture Design for High-Performance Lithium-Sulfur Batteries

Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries are considered as one of the most promising options to realize rechargeable batteries with high energy capacity. Previously, research has mainly focused on solving the polysulfides' shuttle, cathode volume changes, and sulfur conductivity problems. However, the instability of anodes in Li-S batteries has become a bottleneck to achieving high performance. Herein, the main efforts to develop highly stable anodes for Li-S batteries, mainly including lithium metal anodes, carbon-based anodes, and alloy-based anodes, are considered. Based on these anodes, their interfacial engineering and structure design are identified as the two most important directions to achieve ideal anodes. Because of high reactivity and large volume change during cycling, Li anodes suffer from severe side reactions and structure collapse. The solid electrolyte interphase formed in situ by modified electrolytes and ex situ artificial coating layers can enhance the interfacial stability of anodes. Replacing common Li foil with rationally designed anodes not only suppresses the formation of dendritic Li but also delays the failure of Li anodes. Manipulating the anode interface engineering and rationally designing anode architecture represents an attractive path to develop high-performance Li-S batteries.

Traditional Electrodeposition Preparation of Nonstoichiometric Tin-Based Anodes with Superior Lithium-Ion Storage

Herein, nonstoichiometric structured tin-based anodes for lithium-ion batteries were directly prepared by a simple and traditional electrodeposition method. These tin-based anodes show high electrode capacity, excellent rate performance, and superior stable cycling stability, which delivers an outstanding reversible capacity of 728 mAh g^-1 at the current density of 100 mA g^-1 after 400 cycles. When cycled at the current density of 6 A g^-1 for 250 cycles, the capacity of the tin-based anode was kept at about 300 mAh g^-1. The tin-based anode with its nonstoichiometric structure can effectively overcome the volume expansion, stabilize the electrode structure, and enhance the cyclic stability through structural reconstruction. By improving the traditional preparation method, the excellent electrochemical anode can be obtained, which may greatly promote the commercial application of alloy mechanism anode materials in lithium-ion batteries.