Application of gelatin as a binder for the sulfur cathode in lithium-sulfur batteries

Gelatin, a natural biological macromolecule, was successfully used as a new binder in place of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) in the fabrication of the sulfur cathode in lithium-sulfur batteries. The structure and electrochemical performance of the two types of sulfur cathodes, with gelatin and PEO as binders, respectively, were compared in 1 M LiClO4 DME/DOL (V/V = 1/1) electrolyte. The results showed that the gelatin binder had multifunctional effects on the Sulfur cathode: it not only functioned as a highly adhesive agent and an effective dispersion agent for the cathode materials, but also an electrochemically stable binder. The gelatin binder-sulfur cathode achieved a high initial capacity of 1132 mAh g(-1), and remained at a reversible capacity of 408 mAh g(-1) after 50 cycles, all of which were better than with the PEO binder-sulfur cathode under the same conditions. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.