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In the present work, we develop a scalable and inexpensive design for lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries by capping a flexible gel polymer/carbon nanofiber (CNF)composite membrane onto a free-standing and binder-free CNF + Li2S6 cathode, thus achieving a three-dimensional (3D) structural design. The CNF network is used as the current collector and S holder to overcome the insulating nature and volume expansion of S, while the composite membrane comprises a gel polymer poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP), and CNF additive is used as an interlayer to trap polysulfides and recycle the remaining S species, leading to a high specific capacity and long cycle life. This 3D structure enables excellent cyclability for 500 cycles at 0.5 ℃ with a small capacity decay of 0.092% per cycle. Furthermore, an outstanding cycle stability was also achieved at even higher current densities (1.0 to 2.0 ℃), indicating its good potential for practical applications of Li-S batteries.
The SEM images used in this article were generated at the Center for Electron Microscopy and Microanalysis, University of Southern California. The EIS data used in this article was collected in Dr. Stephen Cronin's lab. The BET data used in this article was collected in Dr. Richard L. Brutchey's lab.