PNNL

Abstract

The insulating nature of sulfur and the solubility of the polysulfide in organic electrolyte are two main factors that limit the application of lithium sulfur (Li-S) battery systems. Enhancement of Li conductivity, identification of a strong adsorption agent of polysulfides and the improvement of the whole sulfur-based electrode are of great technological importance. The diffusion of Li atoms on the outer-wall, inner-wall and inter-wall spaces in nitrogen-doped double-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and penetrations of Li and S atoms through the walls are studied using density functional theory. We find that N-doping does not alternate the diffusion behaviors of Li atoms throughout the CNTs, but the energy barrier for Li atoms to penetrate the wall is greatly decreased by N-doping (from ~9.0 eV to ~ 1.0 eV). On the other hand, the energy barrier for S atoms to penetrate the wall remains very high, which is caused by the formation of the chemical bonds between the S and nearby N atoms. The results indicate that Li atoms are able to diffuse freely, whereas S atoms can be encapsulated inside the N-doped CNTs, suggesting that the N-doped CNTs can be potentially used in high performance Li-S batteries.