Enhancing Li-S Battery Performance with Porous Carbon from Hanji

Hanji-derived porous carbon has been developed and utilized as a cathode material for Li-S batteries, demonstrating exceptional electrochemical performance and stability. The unique porous structure and high surface area of Hanji-based carbon enhanced S utilization and significantly improved the overall efficiency of the battery. The material exhibited excellent electrical conductivity and structural stability, effectively addressing the major challenges of Li-S batteries, such as the polysulfide shuttle effect and active material loss. In addition, flake carbon-coated separators (FCCSs) were integrated into Li-S cells to further enhance their performance, achieving a high initial specific capacity of approximately 1200 mAh/g and maintaining a capacity of 620 mAh/g after 100 cycles. In contrast, cells with conventional polypropylene separators exhibited lower initial capacities (946 mAh/g), which decreased to 366 mAh/g after 100 cycles. FCCSs also demonstrated superior capacity retention and stability under varying charge–discharge rates, maintaining a capacity of 200 mAh/g at 3 C and recovering to 730 mAh/g when the rate was 0.1 C. This study provides valuable insights into the development of sustainable and efficient Li-S battery systems, with Hanji-based carbon and FCCSs emerging as promising components for commercial applications.