Fundamental Studies on Next-Generation High-Energy and Low-Cost Sodium-Sulfur Batteries
Abstract
Rechargeable lithium (Li)-ion batteries currently dominate the market of portable consumer electronics and represent the highest performance batteries. However, with the ever-increasing energy demand, they have now seen the limit of satisfying the long-lasting and low-cost needs for many civil and military utilities, such as extended-range manned/unmanned electric-powered vehicles and grid/micro-grid energy storage.1-4 The existing technology of Li-ion batteries is based on the combination of a graphite anode and a lithium metal oxide or phosphate cathode (LiCoO2, LiMn2O4, or LiFePO4), in which the working principle is the insertion and de-insertion of Li ions into these materials. The relatively low capacities of these electrodes (372 mAh/g for graphite and 140-170 mAh/g for lithium metal oxides or phosphates) limit the total specific energy of the cell. Therefore, improving the energy density of batteries requires exploiting new high capacity battery chemistries beyond Li-ion.Sulfur (S) is a promising cathode material that can deliver a high theoretical capacity of 1673 mAh/g owing to a complete two-electron transfer per atom from S to S2-, more than 5 times higher than the theoretical limits of the insertion/de-insertion cathode counterparts. The intriguing properties of high-capacity, large abundance, inexpensiveness and low-toxicity of S have boosted a wealth of research in lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries over the past seven years, and achieved significant progress.5-11 In Li-S batteries, S cathode is paired with Li metal anode to form a full battery. However, the very limited availability of Li resource on a global scale and itshigh cost pose serious needs to explore the battery systems based on earth-abundant elements.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- May 02, 2017
- Source ID
- FA95501710184
Entities
People
- Weiyang Li
Organizations
- Air Force Office of Scientific Research
- Board of Trustees of Dartmouth College
- United States Air Force