Enabling High-Rate and Safe Lithium Ion-Sulfur Batteries by Effective Combination of Sulfur-Copolymer Cathode and Hard-Carbon Anode.

Fabrication and high-rate performance of a safe lithium ion-sulfur battery (LISB) with sulfur-copolymer [poly(S-co-divinylbenzene (DVB)] cathode having a sulfur content higher than 90 wt %, a carbon-fiber interlayer, and a prelithiated hard-carbon (Li-HC) anode are reported, which mitigates problems of lithium-sulfur cells such as performance fade and safety issues due to dissolution of polysulfides and lithium-dendrite growth. The poly(S-co-DVB) cathode offers scalability owing to the abundance and low cost of DVB. The Li-HC anode, the surface of which is passivated by a solid electrolyte interphase, inhibits the deposition of polysulfides. As a result, the LISB exhibits reversible and stable cycling performance at high rates up to 3 C, which enables quick charging within 20 min, and delivers a reversible capacity of approximately 400 mAh g-1 at 3 C for 500 cycles. The results give insight into the design principle of promising, quickly charged, and safe LISBs.