Carbon Nanomaterials for Li–Sulfur Batteries

Abstract

The Lithium–sulfur (Li–S) battery is considered as one of the most promising candidates to achieve a low-cost and high energy density system. This chapter introduces the history, electrochemistry, solid electrolyte interphase layer formation, and Li dendrite growth, and summarizes progress of carbon nanomaterials in Li–S batteries. A unique issue in Li–S batteries is the growth of Li dendrites with treelike structures at the anode on repeated discharges/charges, which originate from an uneven deposition of Li and can cause safety problems with Li–S batteries. Activated carbon has been investigated as the host material in Li–S batteries. Graphene-based materials are capable of encapsulating sulfur, thus offering several advantages in Li–S batteries. The combination of advanced sulfur encapsulation technique with Carbon nanotubes (CNT) shows that CNTs are a promising host material. Li–S batteries are in the ascendant after L. F. Nazar et al. reported an Li–S battery with improved cycling performance in 2009.