TY - JOUR
T1 - A novel sulfur/polypyrrole/multi-walled carbon nanotube nanocomposite cathode with core-shell tubular structure for lithium rechargeable batteries
AU - Zhang, Yongguang
AU - Zhao, Yan
AU - Doan, The Nam Long
AU - Konarov, Aishuak
AU - Gosselink, Denise
AU - Soboleski, Hayden Greentree
AU - Chen, P.
N1 - Funding Information:
This research was financially supported by Positec , the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), Canadian Foundation for Innovation (CFI) and the Canada Research Chairs (CRC) Program . The TEM research described in this paper was performed at the Canadian Centre for Electron Microscopy at McMaster University, which is supported by NSERC and other government agencies. One of the authors (Y.Z.) thanks the China Scholarship Council for the Study Abroad Scholarship.
PY - 2013/4/17
Y1 - 2013/4/17
N2 - A multi-walled carbon nanotube and polypyrrole composite (PPy/MWNT) was synthesized by in situ polymerization of pyrrole monomer on the surface of MWNT. As-prepared PPy/MWNT composite was mixed with an aqueous suspension of nanosized sulfur particle, followed by heat-treatment to obtain an S/PPy/MWNT ternary composite. High resolution transmission electronic microscopy shows the formation of a highly developed core-shell tubular structure consisting of PPy/MWNT composite with uniform sulfur coating on its surface. Polypyrrole, with its high adhesion ability to MWNT, acts as a binder to connect sulfur and MWNTs, as well as absorbs polysulfides into its porous structure to improve the cyclability of the S/PPy/MWNT composite in Li/S batteries. The MWNT core provides a highly conductive and mechanically flexible framework, enhancing the electronic conductivity and consequently the rate capability of the material. This ternary composite cathode sustains 960.7 mAh g-1 reversible specific discharge capacity after 40 cycles at 0.1 C, and 523.2 mAh g - 1 at 0.5°C.
AB - A multi-walled carbon nanotube and polypyrrole composite (PPy/MWNT) was synthesized by in situ polymerization of pyrrole monomer on the surface of MWNT. As-prepared PPy/MWNT composite was mixed with an aqueous suspension of nanosized sulfur particle, followed by heat-treatment to obtain an S/PPy/MWNT ternary composite. High resolution transmission electronic microscopy shows the formation of a highly developed core-shell tubular structure consisting of PPy/MWNT composite with uniform sulfur coating on its surface. Polypyrrole, with its high adhesion ability to MWNT, acts as a binder to connect sulfur and MWNTs, as well as absorbs polysulfides into its porous structure to improve the cyclability of the S/PPy/MWNT composite in Li/S batteries. The MWNT core provides a highly conductive and mechanically flexible framework, enhancing the electronic conductivity and consequently the rate capability of the material. This ternary composite cathode sustains 960.7 mAh g-1 reversible specific discharge capacity after 40 cycles at 0.1 C, and 523.2 mAh g - 1 at 0.5°C.
KW - Core-shell tubular structure
KW - Lithium-sulfur battery
KW - Sulfur/polypyrrole/MWNT composite
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U2 - 10.1016/j.ssi.2013.03.006
DO - 10.1016/j.ssi.2013.03.006
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84876124428
SN - 0167-2738
VL - 238
SP - 30
EP - 35
JO - Solid State Ionics
JF - Solid State Ionics
ER -