Lithium polymer battery with high energy density

Abstract

Polymer cathode materials based on organosulfur compounds are developed for lithium rechargeable batteries with high energy density. Making a well-mixed composite with a conducting polymer polyaniline (PAn) accelerates slow redox reactions of organosulfur compounds such as 2,5-dimercapto-1,3,4-thiadiazole (DMcT). Using a copper cathode current collector, battery performances of the DMcT/PAn composite cathode are significantly improved due to a formation of a complex between DMcT and a copper ion: discharge capacity exceeding 225 Ah/kg-cathode and cyclability more than 500 charge-discharge cycles being achieved. Furthermore, addition of elemental sulfur (S8) to the composite further augments the discharge capacity of the composite cathode to more than 500 Ah/kg-cathode.