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Free-Radical Catalysis and Enhancement of the Redox Kinetics for Room-Temperature Sodium-Sulfur Batteries
journal contribution
posted on 2020-06-12, 00:00 authored by A Kumar, A Ghosh, M Forsyth, D R MacFarlane, S MitraRoom-temperature sodium-sulfur (RT Na-S) batteries offer the potential for inexpensive stationary energy storage at the grid and local level. However, their practical performance remains far from theoretical due to sluggish reaction kinetics, which limits both their energy and their rate characteristics. To overcome this, a conceptually new mechanism is demonstrated on the basis of the catalysis by stabilized free-radical species, as indicated by electron spin resonance measurements, generated on the surface of a Na2S6 catholyte-infiltrated activated carbon cloth cathode. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy characterizations reveal that free-radical catalysis promotes reduction to end-discharged products, via a surface-bound intermediate state, ACC-S3-. Due to this free-radical catalytic activity, our RT Na-S cell achieves a high nominal cell potential of 1.85 V. At a rate of 0.5 C, the Na-S cell delivers a high specific capacity of 866 mA h g(S)-1 and retains 678 mA h g(S)-1 after 700 cycles. The concept of a free-radical mechanism, as described herein, could be adapted to enhance the electrochemical kinetics of other energy storage devices that involve radical intermediate species.
History
Journal
ACS Energy LettersVolume
5Issue
6Pagination
2112 - 2121Publisher
American Chemical SocietyLocation
Washington, D.C.Publisher DOI
eISSN
2380-8195Language
engPublication classification
C1 Refereed article in a scholarly journalCopyright notice
2020, American Chemical SocietyUsage metrics
Categories
Keywords
Electrochemical cellsSulfurBatteriesCarbonElectrodesScience & TechnologyPhysical SciencesTechnologyChemistry, PhysicalElectrochemistryEnergy & FuelsNanoscience & NanotechnologyMaterials Science, MultidisciplinaryChemistryScience & Technology - Other TopicsMaterials ScienceRAMAN-SPECTROSCOPYPERFORMANCECATHODELIQUIDPOLYSULFIDESNETWORKANIONSPhysical Chemistry of Materials
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