Synthesis of hybrid polyaniline – graphene oxide – sulfur nanocomposite fibers through ice nucleation as a cathode materials for lithium-sulfur battery

Abstract

The polyaniline-based nanocomposite is a promising candidate for hosting sulfur in cathode materials-based lithium-sulfur batteries. This is because of its strong affinity towards lithium polysulfide and high conductivity. However, with its lower specific surface area and the less polar group, frame structures are unstable, limiting their performance in electrochemical energy storage devices. We have developed PANI – GO – S nanocomposite in ice to grow continuous well-ordered pores structures with high conductivity. The prepared nanocomposite (1 wt%) was mixed with LiNi_0.5Mn_0.5O₂ with polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) in N-methyl pyrrolidone (NMP) solvent to make the slurry for the cathode fabrication. The cyclic voltammetry of PANI and its nanocomposite indicates a typical characteristic of the redox peaks at 1.9 V and 2.7 V and the oxidation peak appeared at 2.6 V and 2.2 V that indicates the changing into Li₂S to S²⁻ and later sulfur elemental S₈. The high specific capacity of the LNMO (PANI – GO – S) nanocomposite obtained 868 mAh g⁻¹ up to 400 cycles and above that its value around is around 748 mAh g⁻¹ with the retention rate of 76 % with the same coulomobic efficiency of 98% confirms that the nanocomposite high stability and high corrosion resistance. This outcome of the LNMO (PANI – GO – S) nanocomposite presents a new strategy to fabricate advanced cathodes and high specific capacity of the cathode in a lithium-based electrochemical charge storage cell.