Owing to the abundance of sulfur and a high specific energy, lithium sulfur batteries have emerged as a promising alternative to lithium ion batteries for high-density energy storage. However, the dissolution of polysulfides during cycling remain a major challenge for this technology. Metal organic frameworks are excellent solid-state candidates for immobilizing Li polysulfides. The porosity of organic frameworks permits high sulfur encapsulation and can accommodate volume changes upon cycling, which translate to high charge capacity and reversibility. The use of inherently conductive metal organic frameworks will further improve the conductivity of sulfur and the cyclability of lithium sulfur batteries. Their modular synthesis and crystalline nature also provide a platform for understanding the cycling behaviors of lithium sulfur. Using molecular tuning and strategies in crystal engineering, we evaluate sulfur adsorption and cyclability of MOFs electrodes for lithium sulfur batteries.

Engineering molecular materials for applications in energy storage

253rd National Meeting (2017)

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