Preparation and performance of a sulfur/graphene composite for rechargeable lithium-sulfur battery

The lithium-sulfur (Li-S) battery is a promising electrochemical system that has high theoretical capacity. The sulfur/graphene nanosheets (S/GNS) composite is prepared through thermal reduction between the sulfur (S) and graphene oxide (GO). The morphology and composition of the composite are analyzed by means of x-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopic (EDS) characterization. It is found that the element S distributed uniformly between the layers of GNS. Graphene with a two-dimensional structure of carbon atoms is employed as a conductive and absorbing agent for the S cathode materials of rechargeable Li-S battery. The S/GNS composite cathode shows a specific electrochemical capacity, which is about 1598 mAh g−1 S at the initial discharge and remains above 670 mAh g−1 after 80 cycles.