Graphene Oxide as a Sulfur Immobilizer in High Performance Lithium/Sulfur Cells

The loss of sulfur cathode material as a result of polysulfide dissolution causes significant capacity fading in rechargeable lithium/sulfur cells. Here, we use a chemical approach to immobilize sulfur and lithium polysulfides via the reactive functional groups on graphene oxide. This approach enabled us to obtain a uniform and thin (around tens of nanometers) sulfur coating on graphene oxide sheets by a simple chemical reaction–deposition strategy and a subsequent low-temperature thermal treatment process. Strong interaction between graphene oxide and sulfur or polysulfides enabled us to demonstrate lithium/sulfur cells with a high reversible capacity of 950–1400 mA h g–1, and stable cycling for more than 50 deep cycles at 0.1C (1C = 1675 mA g–1).