Li2S Nanocrystals Confined in Free-Standing Carbon Paper for High Performance Lithium-Sulfur Batteries

Lithium sulfide (Li2S) with a high theoretical capacity of 1166 mAh g(-1) is a promising cathode material for Li-S batteries as it allows for the use of lithium-free anodes. However, a large overpotential (similar to 1 V) is usually needed to activate microsized Li2S particles due to their low electronic and ionic conductivities. Here, nano-Li2S/carbon paper electrodes are developed via a simple Li2S solution filtration method. Li2S nanocrystals with a size less than 10 nm are formed uniformly in the pores of carbon paper network. These electrodes show an unprecedented low potential difference (0.1 V) in the first and following charges, also show high discharge capacities, good rate capability, and excellent cycling performance. More specifically, the nano-Li2S/carbon nanotube paper electrodes show a reversible capacity of 634 mAh g(-1) with a capacity retention of 92.4% at 1C rate from the 4th to 100th cycle, corresponding to a low capacity fading rate of 0.078% per cycle. These results demonstrate a facile and scalable electrode fabrication process for making high performance nano-Li2S/carbon paper electrodes, and the superior performance makes them promising for use with lithium metal-free anodes in rechargeable Li-S batteries for practical applications.