Dispersible percolating carbon nano-electrodes for improvement of polysulfide utilization in Li-S batteries

Percolating carbon nanoparticles were added into electrolyte to improve the performance of Li-S batteries. These percolating carbon nanoparticles acted as dispersible nanosized electrodes, allowed the direct electrochemical utilization of dissolved polysulfides in electrolyte, and mitigated the polysulfide shuttle. As a result, the polysulfide utilization was improved with the virtual sulfur capacity increasing from 538 mA h g(-1) to 1270 mA h g(-1). The increment in high plateau-sloping capacity is 43% while a much more significant 158% increment is observed in low plateau region. The percolating carbon nanoparticles also improved the battery stability. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.