A Free-Standing Sulfur/Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Nanotube Electrode for High-Performance Lithium/Sulfur Batteries

A free-standing sulfur/nitrogen-doped carbon nanotube (S/N-CNT) composite prepared via a simple solution method was first studied as a cathode material for lithium/sulfur batteries. By taking advantage of the self-weaving behavior of N-CNT, binders and current collectors are rendered unnecessary in the cathode, thereby simplifying its manufacturing and increasing the sulfur weight ratio in the electrode. Transmission electronic microscopy showed the formation of a highly developed core-shell tubular structure consisting of S/N-CNT composite with uniform sulfur coating on the surface of N-CNT. As a core in the composite, the N-CNT with N functionalization provides a highly conductive and mechanically flexible framework, enhancing the electronic conductivity and consequently the rate capability of the material

Carbonophosphates: A New Family of Cathode Materials for Li-Ion Batteries Identified Computationally

The tremendous growth of Li-ion batteries into a wide variety of applications is setting new requirements in terms of cost, energy density, safety, and power density. One route toward meeting these objectives consists in finding alternative chemistries to current cathode materials. In this Article, we describe a new class of materials discovered through a novel high-throughput ab initio computational approach and which can intercalate lithium reversibly. We report on the synthesis, characterization, and electrochemical testing of this novel lithium-carbonophosphate chemistry. This work demonstrates how the novel high-throughput computing approach can identify promising chemistries for next-generation cathode materials

Introduction to fundamental concepts

This chapter discusses the importance of establishing a unified approach to electronics and electrochemistry.São Paulo State University (UNESP)São Paulo State University (UNESP