X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy Characterization of a Li/S Cell

作者：Ye, Yifan; Kawase, Ayako; Song, Min-Kyu; Feng, Bingmei; Liu, Yi-Sheng; Marcus, Matthew A.; Feng, Jun; Cairns, Elton J.; Guo, Jinghua^*; Zhu, Junfa^*

来源：Nanomaterials, 2016, 6(1): 14.

DOI：10.3390/nano6010014

• lithium
• sulfur cell
• X-ray absorption spectroscopy
• cetyltrimethylammonium bromide
• synthesis
• capacity decay
• cycled cathode materials
• insulating layer
• in-situ
• in-operando

The X-ray absorption spectroscopy technique has been applied to study different stages of the lithium/sulfur (Li/S) cell life cycle. We have investigated how speciation of S in Li/S cathodes changes upon the introduction of CTAB (cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, CH3(CH2)(15)N+(CH3)(3)Br-) and with charge/discharge cycling. The introduction of CTAB changes the synthesis reaction pathway dramatically due to the interaction of CTAB with the terminal S atoms of the polysulfide ions in the Na2Sx solution. For the cycled Li/S cell, the loss of electrochemically active sulfur and the accumulation of a compact blocking insulating layer of unexpected sulfur reaction products on the cathode surface during the charge/discharge processes make the capacity decay. A modified coin cell and a vacuum-compatible three-electrode electro-chemical cell have been introduced for further in-situ/in-operando studies.

• 出版日期2016-1
• 单位中国科学技术大学; 哈尔滨工业大学