A Stable High-Capacity Lithium-Ion Battery Using a Biomass-Derived Sulfur-Carbon Cathode and Lithiated Silicon Anode

A full lithium-ion-sulfur cell with a remarkable cycle life was achieved by combining an environmentally sustainable biomass-derived sulfur-carbon cathode and a pre-lithiated silicon oxide anode. X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, and thermogravimetry of the cathode evidenced the disordered nature of the carbon matrix in which sulfur was uniformly distributed with a weight content as high as 75%, while scanning and transmission electron microscopy revealed the micrometric morphology of the composite. The sulfur-carbon electrode in the lithium half-cell exhibited a maximum capacity higher than 1200 mAhgS-1, reversible electrochemical process, limited electrode/electrolyte interphase resistance, and a rate capability up to C/2. The material showed a capacity decay of about 40% with respect to the steady-state value over 100 cycles, likely due to the reaction with the lithium metal of dissolved polysulfides or impurities including P detected in the carbon precursor. Therefore, the replacement of the lithium metal with a less challenging anode was suggested, and the sulfur-carbon composite was subsequently investigated in the full lithium-ion-sulfur battery employing a Li-alloying silicon oxide anode. The full-cell revealed an initial capacity as high as 1200 mAhgS-1, a retention increased to more than 79% for 100 galvanostatic cycles, and 56% over 500 cycles. The data reported herein well indicated the reliability of energy storage devices with extended cycle life employing high-energy, green, and safe electrode materials.