3D Ordered Porous Nanostructure Confers Fast Charge Transfer Rate and Reduces the Electrode Polarization in Thick Electrode
Shengxuan Lin, Yifan Wang, Yuhang Chen, Zihe Cai, Jiajia Xiao, Tahir Muhmood, Xiaobin Hu
Abstract
Lithium batteries with high electrode thickness always possess a poor battery property due to electrode polarization along the thickness direction. Herein, a concept that the electrode polarization can be reduced through the fabrication of 3D ordered interconnected nanostructure in the electrode is put forward. A nitrogen-doped carbon photonic crystal (NCPC) with the ordered interconnected nanostructure is used in the electrode to prove the concept. NCPC can provide a fast charge transfer rate along the thickness direction and a uniform distribution for electrons and lithium ions, resulting in diminishing the concentration polarization and concentration gradient. When NCPC works for lithium-sulfur battery, the thick electrode achieves a fast charge transfer rate and a small voltage gap as well as the thin electrode. The 200 µm thick sulfur cathode obtains a specific capacity (87%) as high as 100 µm thick sulfur cathode. In contrast, the capacity ratio of the electrode made by the traditional coating method is only 45%.