Advanced Configuration of N-Enriched Carbonized Tissue Paper as a Free-Standing Interlayer for Lithium-Sulfur Batteries at Wide-Range Temperatures

Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries with stable cyclic life, high sulfur loading greater than 70 wt % S, and operating in a wide range of temperatures have gained a competitive edge for promising applications. However, the low sulfur loading, shuttling effect, poor cycling stability, fast capacity fading, volume expansion, and limited operating temperature conditions limit their practical applications. Herein, we have designed a nitrogen-enriched functionalized carbon-based interlayer using waste tissue paper. The nitrogen-enriched interwoven fibrous interlayer sieved Li+ and confined the polysulfides within the high-sulfur (75 wt % S)-loaded cathodes. The battery exhibited a 1256 mA h g(-1) capacity at 0.1C at 25 degrees C. At 1C, it attained 789 mA h g(-1) and maintained 738 mA h g(-1) over 500 cycles with a capacity retention of 72%. A wide range of temperatures from 0 to 70 degrees C is suitable for a Li-S battery. At 70 degrees C, the Li-S battery delivered an outstanding cyclic performance at 1C over 500 cycles with a capacity retention of 94.5%, an ultrahigh efficiency of 96%, and 0.01% capacity fade per cycle. Therefore, the facile strategy for the fabrication of the interlayer with the special network was effective for achieving high-performance Li-S batteries.

Automated summary

The nitrogen-enriched functionalized carbon-based interlayer designed using waste tissue paper improved the performance of lithium-sulfur batteries and increased sulfur loading.