h-BN/rGO/S cathode applications in lithium sulfur batteries

Considering today's technological developments, storable energy gains great importance. In addition to their advantages such as high energy density and environmental friendliness, lithium batteries also have some disadvantages. These disadvantages include degradation at high temperatures, the need for protective circuitry, loss of capacity due to overcharging, or thermal degradation. Hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) plays an important role in many studies conducted to avoid these disadvantages. In this study, it is aimed to improve the properties of Li-S batteries and prevent their disadvantages thanks to the h-BN nanocomposite, which has unique characteristics and provides advantages in the areas where it is used. For this purpose, the superior mechanical and chemical properties of h-BN were combined with reduced graphene oxide (rGO) to provide co-deposition of rGO layers in the composite film. In addition, free-standing and flexible h-BN/rGO/S composite paper electrodes containing different amounts of BN by weight and impregnated with sulfur were prepared. The obtained composite papers were used as cathodes in Li-S batteries without using binders. Within the scope of this study, morphological and structural analyzes of the composite films were conducted with X-ray diffraction (XRD), field-emission gun scanning electron microscopy (FEG-SEM) and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS). After the CR2032 cell was assembled, the charge-discharge capacities were checked by carrying out electrochemical performance tests. As a result, the h-BN/rGO based composites will be developed as environmentally friendly and metal-free materials by further increasing the electrochemical performance and electron transport of lithium batteries.