Flower-like Ni/NiO microspheres decorated by sericin-derived carbon for high-rate lithium-sulfur batteries

• Published in: Ionics 2021-12, Vol.27 (12), p.5137-5145
• Main Authors: Zhu, Manli, Wu, Jun, Li, Shiqi, Luo, Xinjiang, Zhang, Beibei, Jiang, Mianjiao, Xu, Xiaobang, Sheng, Weiqin, Xu, Junming, Song, Kaixin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Bonding strength; Carbon; Cathodes; Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; Commercialization; Condensed Matter Physics; Electrochemistry; Electron transport; Energy Storage; Lithium sulfur batteries; Microspheres; Nickel oxides; Optical and Electronic Materials; Original Paper; Polysulfides; Reaction kinetics; Renewable and Green Energy; Synergistic effect
• ISSN: 0947-7047; 1862-0760
• DOI: 10.1007/s11581-021-04275-8

Lithium-sulfur (Li–S) batteries are still in difficulty to be commercialized so far, owing largely to the cathode challenges involving severe volume expansion and insulation of sulfur and its complete reduction productions or the notorious shuttle effect caused by dissolution of polysulfides. Herein, we have designed a novel sulfur-loading composite of C/Ni/NiO, consisting of flower-like Ni/NiO porous microspheres superficially decorated by sericin-derived carbon, utilized as cathodes of Li–S batteries. The Ni/NiO porous microspheres provide more active sites for electrochemical ionic exchange by using its large surface areas and also provide a strong polar chemical adsorption with polysulfides via forming Ni-S bonds. Additionally, the conductive metallic nickel and sericin-derived biomass carbon can effectively improve reaction kinetics by accelerating electron transport. Based on the synergistic effects, Li–S batteries with the as-prepared S@C/Ni/NiO cathodes deliver a high initial capacity of 1192.2 mAh g −1 at 0.2 C and a low capacity decay of 0.068% within 1000 cycles at 1.0 C. Meanwhile, a high rate up to 5.0 C with a capacity retention of 171.3 mAh g −1 is also achieved.