Wearable lithium-sulfur battery and methods of making the same
Lithium sulfur batteries are described, especially ones that are flexible for wearing about an appendage of a wearer. Such batteries have a lithium metal anode, a sulfur cathode comprising sulfur, a conductive carbon, a lithium supertonic solid-state conductor, and a dendritic or hyperbranched polymer binder, an electrolyte layer between the lithium metal anode and the sulfur cathode, and a current collector positioned on the sulfur cathode opposite the electrolyte layer.
1. A lithium sulfur battery comprising:
a lithium metal anode;
a sulfur cathode comprising sulfur infused into the cavities of, a lithium superionic conductor conformally coated with conductive carbon;
an electrolyte layer comprising a lithium superionic conductor; and
a porous, flexible current collector;
wherein the electrolyte layer is between the lithium metal anode and the sulfur cathode;
wherein on the sulfur cathode is between the current collector and the electrolyte layer; and
wherein the battery is flexible such that it can be partially rolled up or wrapped about an appendage of a wearer.
2. The lithium sulfur battery of claim 1 , wherein the lithium metal anode has a thickness of about 5 μm to 100 μm.
3. The lithium sulfur battery of claim 1 , wherein the lithium superionic conductor in the sulfur cathode is Li 1+x Ge 2−x Al x P 3 O 12 (LAGP), lithium aluminum titanium phosphate (LATP), lithium electrolyte Li 10 GeP 2 S 12 (LGPS), lithium electrolyte Li 7 La 6 Zr 8 O 12 (LLZ), or combinations thereof.
4. The lithium sulfur battery of claim 1 , wherein the conductive carbon is present as a carbonized coating on the lithium superionic conductor (LISICON), thereby forming a carbonized LISICON.
5. The lithium sulfur battery of claim 4 , wherein the lithium superionic conductor in the sulfur cathode is Li 1+ x Ge 2− y Al y P 3 O 12 (LAGP), lithium aluminum titanium phosphate (LATP), lithium electrolyte Li 10 GeP 2 S 12 (LGPS), lithium electrolyte Li 7 La 6 Zr 8 O 12 (LLZ), or combinations thereof.
6. The lithium sulfur battery of claim 4 , wherein the carbonized coating comprises a graphitic, carbon nanotube form of carbon and has pores.
7. The lithium sulfur battery of claim 4 , wherein the lithium superionic conductor are particles that have an average particle size of less than 500 nm.
8. The lithium sulfur battery of claim 4 , wherein the sulfur is infused in the pores of the carbonized LISICON.
9. The lithium sulfur battery of claim 8 , wherein the cathode comprises a ratio of sulfur to the carbonized LISICON of about 8:1 to about 1:1.
10. The lithium sulfur battery of claim 8 , wherein the cathode further comprising multi-walled carbon nanotubes as about 1% to about 10% by weight thereof.
11. The lithium sulfur battery of claim 1 , wherein the sulfur cathode further comprises a dendritic or hyperbranched polymer binder.
12. The lithium sulfur battery of claim 1 , wherein the electrolyte layer is a solid film layer comprising a lithium superionic conductor structure.
13. The lithium sulfur battery of claim 12 , wherein the electrolyte layer comprises the same lithium superionic conductor material as the cathode.
14. The lithium sulfur battery of claim 12 , wherein the electrolyte layer has a thickness of about 10 μm to about 30 μm.
15. The lithium sulfur battery of claim 12 , wherein the electrolyte layer is surrounded by a liquid electrolyte solution.
16. The lithium sulfur battery of claim 1 , wherein the current collector comprises carbon nanotube coated paper.
17. The lithium sulfur battery of claim 16 , wherein the carbon nanotube coated paper comprises nitrogen functionalized single walled carbon nanotubes.