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Carbon Supports for Sulfur Active Material in All Solid-State Lithium Sulfur Batteries

Monday, 30 May 2022
West Ballroom B/C/D (Vancouver Convention Center)
D. Lopez Gonzalez (The University of British Columbia, National Research Council Canada), V. Neburchilov (NRC Institute for Fuel Cell Innovation), K. Tsay (National Research Council Canada), and E. L. Gyenge (The University of British Columbia)
One of many new technologies that has been pushed in recent years is the study of lithium-sulfur energy storage systems. Sulfur is used as the main active material in the cathode due to its high gravimetric capacity of 1672 mA h g−1, and it is a highly abundant element. Lithium metal or composites act as the counter negative electrode. Different electrolytes have been studied to promote Li transfer during cycling in Li-S systems. Organic liquid electrolytes (OLEs) in L-S systems hinders battery performance due to polysulfide shuttle effects. Solid state electrolytes, such as ceramics, eliminate this issue and do not pose any flammability issues as some OLEs might. Ceramics have also been used due to their high ionic conductivity. To ensure sulfur is fully utilized and accessible during cycling, carbon supports have been used to aid electron transport due to its low electrical conductivity (1E-15 S m-1). Sulfur is typically dispersed or deposited on these carbon supports in different manners, it can be dispersed mechanically, in wet methods such as with solvents or directly through sublimating onto the supports. Different synthesis methods of sulfur deposition onto varying carbon supports are studied to determine which synthesis method and carbon support provides the most accessibility for sulfur utilization. The carbons to be studied are: Super P, Ketjen Black (KB), and reduced graphene oxide (rGO). Sulfur utilization will be analyzed by cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charge discharge and impedance measurements to obtain characteristic voltammograms, specific capacity curves and Nyquist plots. Cells will be assembled using all solid-state materials for the development of a noble all-solid state lithium sulfur battery (ASSLSB).