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Vol. 11 (2019)

Atomic Layer Deposition-Assisted Construction of Binder-Free Ni@N-Doped Carbon Nanospheres Films as Advanced Host for Sulfur Cathode

https://doi.org/10.1007/s40820-019-0295-8
Jun Liu
Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Functional Soft Condensed Matter, School of Materials and Energy, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, People’s Republic of China
Aixiang Wei
Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Functional Soft Condensed Matter, School of Materials and Energy, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, People’s Republic of China
Guoxiang Pan
Department of Materials Chemistry, Huzhou University, Huzhou 313000, People’s Republic of China
Qinqin Xiong
College of Materials and Environmental Engineering, Hangzhou Dianzi University, Hangzhou 310018, People’s Republic of China
Fang Chen
Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, People’s Republic of China
Shenghui Shen
State Key Laboratory of Silicon Materials, Key Laboratory of Advanced Materials and Applications for Batteries of Zhejiang Province, and Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, People’s Republic of China
Xinhui Xia
State Key Laboratory of Silicon Materials, Key Laboratory of Advanced Materials and Applications for Batteries of Zhejiang Province, and Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, People’s Republic of China

Corresponding Author: Xinhui Xia

helloxxh@zju.edu.cn

Nano-Micro Letters, Vol. 11 (2019), Article Number: 64

Abstract

Rational design of hybrid carbon host with high electrical conductivity and strong adsorption toward soluble lithium polysulfides is the main challenge for achieving high-performance lithium–sulfur batteries (LSBs). Herein, novel binder-free Ni@N-doped carbon nanospheres (N-CNSs) films as sulfur host are firstly synthesized via a facile combined hydrothermal-atomic layer deposition method. The cross-linked multilayer N-CNSs films can effectively enhance the electrical conductivity of electrode and provide physical blocking “dams” toward the soluble long-chain polysulfides. Moreover, the doped N heteroatoms and superficial NiO layer on Ni layer can work synergistically to suppress the shuttle of lithium polysulfides by effective chemical interaction/adsorption. In virtue of the unique composite architecture and reinforced dual physical and chemical adsorption to the soluble polysulfides, the obtained Ni@N-CNSs/S electrode is demonstrated with enhanced rate performance (816 mAh g−1 at 2 C) and excellent long cycling life (87% after 200 cycles at 0.1 C), much better than N-CNSs/S electrode and other carbon/S counterparts. Our proposed design strategy offers a promising prospect for construction of advanced sulfur cathodes for applications in LSBs and other energy storage systems.


Highlights:


1 Construct binder-free Ni@N-doped carbon nanospheres (Ni@N-CNSs) films were prepared and used as sulfur host.
2 N-doped carbon and nickel layer work together to suppress shuttle of polysulfides.
3 Ni@N-CNSs/S electrode shows enhanced rate performance and good cycling life.

Keywords

Atomic layer deposition Nickel N-doped carbon nanospheres Sulfur cathode Lithium–sulfur batteries
Liu, Jun, Aixiang Wei, Guoxiang Pan, Qinqin Xiong, Fang Chen, Shenghui Shen, and Xinhui Xia. 2019. “Atomic Layer Deposition-Assisted Construction of Binder-Free Ni@N-Doped Carbon Nanospheres Films As Advanced Host for Sulfur Cathode”. Nano-Micro Letters 11 (August):64. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40820-019-0295-8.
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