KR20160042525A - Organic electrolyte solution for lithium-sulfur battery and lithium-sulfur battery comprising the same - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an organic electrolyte for a lithium-sulfur battery, and a lithium-sulfur battery comprising the same. According to the present invention, the organic electrolyte for a lithium sulfur battery facilitates to improve an overcurrent phenomenon when implementing improved energy density and charging a battery. The lithium-sulfur battery comprising the organic electrolyte is more advantageous to commercialization by having improved performance, stability, etc.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] The present invention relates to an organic electrolytic solution for a lithium-sulfur battery, and a lithium-sulfur battery including the same. BACKGROUND ART [0002]

The present invention relates to an organic electrolytic solution for a lithium-sulfur battery and a lithium-sulfur battery including the organic electrolytic solution.

BACKGROUND ART [0002] Demand for secondary batteries has been increasing in recent years due to rapid development in the fields of electronic devices and electric vehicles. Particularly, with the trend of miniaturization and light weight of portable electronic devices, there is a growing demand for a secondary battery having a high energy density capable of meeting this demand.

Among such secondary batteries, lithium-sulfur batteries are attracting attention because they are easy to supply and supply active materials, and are environmentally friendly and capable of manifesting high energy density. However, the lithium-sulfur battery has a low battery capacity because the utilization rate of sulfur as the cathode active material (i.e., the ratio of the sulfur contained in the electrochemical oxidation reaction in the battery to the charged sulfur) is low. In addition, the lithium-sulfur battery has a limitation in that when the battery is driven, the sulfur is eluted into the electrolyte, and in some cases, the life of the battery is shortened due to precipitation of lithium sulfide.

In order to overcome these limitations, various attempts have been made to control the composition of the electrolytic solution used in the lithium-sulfur battery, to use an electrically conductive composite containing sulfur as the cathode active material, or to provide a protective layer on the surface of the electrode . However, with the technology proposed so far, it is difficult to overcome the above limitations, and there is still room for improvement. Furthermore, in order to commercialize a lithium-sulfur battery, it is still required to secure stability such as charging over-voltage improvement.

Korean Patent Publication No. 2006-0125852 (2006.12.06)

The present invention provides an organic electrolytic solution for a lithium-sulfur battery which enables a more improved energy density to be developed and an over-voltage phenomenon at the time of charging.

The present invention provides a lithium-sulfur battery using the organic electrolyte solution.

According to the present invention, an organic solvent containing 0.1 to 20% by volume of a carbonate-based solvent and 80 to 99.9% by volume of an ether-based solvent; And an organic electrolyte solution for a lithium-sulfur battery including a lithium salt dispersed in the organic solvent.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a fuel cell comprising: a positive electrode including a sulfur; A negative electrode comprising lithium metal or a lithium alloy; A separator positioned between the cathode and the anode; And a lithium-sulfur battery including the positive electrode, the negative electrode, and the organic electrolyte impregnated in the separator.

Hereinafter, an organic electrolytic solution according to embodiments of the present invention and a lithium-sulfur battery including the same will be described in detail.

Prior to that, and unless explicitly stated throughout the present specification, the terminology is used merely to refer to a specific embodiment and is not intended to limit the present invention. And, the singular forms used herein include plural forms unless the phrases expressly have the opposite meaning. Also, as used herein, the term " comprises " embodies certain features, areas, integers, steps, operations, elements and / or components, It does not exclude the existence or addition of a group.

I. Organic electrolyte

According to an embodiment of the present invention, an organic solvent containing 0.1 to 20% by volume of a carbonate-based solvent and 80 to 99.9% by volume of an ether-based solvent; And an organic electrolyte solution for a lithium-sulfur battery including a lithium salt dispersed in the organic solvent.

As a result of continuous experiments conducted by the inventors of the present invention, when an organic solvent containing a carbonate-based solvent and an ether-based solvent at a specific content ratio is applied to an organic electrolyte solution of a lithium-sulfur battery, it is possible to mitigate over- It was confirmed that the density could be expressed. The ether-based solvent is known to be relatively advantageous for securing the stability of a lithium battery, but generally has a low boiling point and thus easily evaporates, thereby shortening the life of the battery. However, when the carbonate-based solvent is mixed with the ether-based solvent at a specific content ratio, the disadvantage of the ether-based solvent can be alleviated, and thus more stable characteristics can be exhibited as an organic electrolyte solution for a lithium-sulfur battery. Further, the organic solvent containing the carbonate-based solvent and the ether-based solvent at a specific content ratio enables the high initial capacity of the lithium-sulfur battery to be secured and the high energy density to be manifested. Surprisingly, the lithium-sulfur battery employing such an organic electrolytic solution exhibits improved stability, such as over-voltage phenomenon is alleviated during charging, and can have more favorable characteristics for commercialization.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the organic electrolytic solution includes an organic solvent containing 0.1 to 20% by volume of a carbonate-based solvent and 80 to 99.9% by volume of an ether-based solvent.

Here, the carbonate-based solvent may be any solvent having a carbonate group, preferably an alkylene carbonate-based solvent. As a non-limiting example, the carbonate-based solvent may be at least one compound selected from the group consisting of ethylene carbonate, propylene carbonate, butylene carbonate, dimethyl carbonate, diethyl carbonate, dipropyl carbonate, dibutyl carbonate, and ethyl methyl carbonate have.

In particular, the carbonate-based solvent is contained in the organic solvent in an amount of 0.1 to 20% by volume, or 0.5 to 20% by volume, or 0.5 to 15% by volume, or 1 to 15% by volume. That is, in order to improve the over-voltage phenomenon during charging and to manifest the improved energy density, it is preferable that the carbonate-based solvent is contained in the organic solvent in an amount of 0.1 vol% or more. However, when the carbonate-based solvent is added in excess, generation of discharge overvoltage may make it difficult to secure the initial capacity of the battery. Therefore, it is preferable that the carbonate-based solvent is contained in the organic solvent in an amount of 20 vol% or less.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the organic solvent includes an ether-based solvent.

In particular, the ether solvent is contained in the organic solvent in an amount of 80 to 99.9% by volume, or 80 to 99.5% by volume, or 85 to 99.5% by volume, or 85 to 99% by volume. That is, in order to improve the over-voltage phenomenon due to the mixing of the carbonate-based solvent and the ether-based solvent and to manifest the improved energy density, it is preferable that the ether-based solvent is contained in the organic solvent in an amount of 99.9% by volume or less. However, if the content of the ether solvent is too low, it may be difficult to secure the initial capacity of the battery due to the generation of discharge overvoltage. Therefore, it is preferable that the ether solvent is contained in the organic solvent in an amount of 80 vol% or more.

As the ether solvent, acyclic ethers and cyclic ethers may be used without any particular limitation. However, the ether solvents preferably include the non-cyclic ethers and the cyclic ethers in a ratio of 1: 0.3 to 1: 0.7, or 1: 0.4 to 1: 0.7, or 1: 0.4 to 1: 0.6, May be more advantageous in the development of the above-mentioned effect. Here, the volume ratio corresponds to the ratio of "volume% of acyclic ether": "volume% of cyclic ether" in the ether solvent.

Specifically, according to the embodiment of the invention, it is preferable that the organic solvent contains 0.1 to 20% by volume of the carbonate-based solvent, 50 to 70% by volume of the cyclic ether, and 25 to 35% by volume of the cyclic ether, Lt; RTI ID = 0.0 > expression. ≪ / RTI >

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the non-cyclic ethers include, but are not limited to, 1,2-dimethoxyethane, 1,2-diethoxyethane, 1,2- 1,2-dibutyloxyethane, diethylene glycol dimethyl ether, diethylene glycol diethyl ether, triethylene glycol dimethyl ether, , At least one compound selected from the group consisting of triethylene glycol diethyl ether, tetraethylene glycol dimethyl ether, and tetraethylene glycol diethyl ether. have.

Also, according to an embodiment of the invention, the cyclic ether may be selected from the group consisting of 1,3-dioxolane, 4,5-dimethyl-dioxolane, 4,5-diethyl-dioxolane, 4-methyl-1,3-dioxolane, 4-ethyl-1-dioxolane, 4-ethyl-1,3-dioxolane, tetrahydrofuran, 2-methyl tetrahydrofuran, 2,5-dimethyltetrahydrofuran (2,5 dimethyl tetrahydrofuran, 2,5-dimethoxy tetrahydrofuran, 2-ethoxy tetrahydrofuran, 2-methyl-1,3-dioxolane, 1,3-dioxolane, 2-vinyl-1,3-dioxolane, 2,2-dimethyl-1,3-dioxolane (2,2- -dimethyl-1,3-dioxolane, 2-methoxy-1,3-dioxolane, 2-ethyl- 2-ethyl-2-methyl-1,3-dioxolane, tetrahydropyran, (1, 2-dimethoxybenzene), 1,3-dimethoxybenzene, 1,4-dimethoxybenzene (1 , 4-dimethoxy benzene, isosorbide dimethyl ether, and the like.

Meanwhile, the organic electrolytic solution according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a lithium salt dispersed in the organic solvent. Here, the lithium salt can be used without any particular limitation as long as it is generally applicable to a lithium battery. Specifically, the lithium salt is _{LiSCN, LiBr, LiI, LiNO 3} , LiPF 6, LiBF 4, LiSbF 6, LiAsF 6, LiCH 3 SO 3, LiCF 3 SO 3, LiClO 4, Li (Ph) 4, LiC (CF _{3 SO 2) 3, LiN (} CF 3 SO 2) 2, LiN (C 2 F 5 SO 2) 2, LiN (SFO 2) 2), and _{LiN (CF 3 CF 2 SO 2} ) selected from the group consisting of ₂ It may be one or more compounds.

The concentration of the lithium salt may be determined in consideration of ionic conductivity and the like, preferably 0.2 to 2.0 M, or 0.5 to 1.6 M. That is, the concentration of the lithium salt is preferably 0.2 M or more in order to secure ion conductivity suitable for driving the battery. However, when the lithium salt is added in an excess amount, the viscosity of the organic electrolytic solution may increase, the mobility of the lithium ion may be lowered, and the decomposition reaction of the lithium salt itself may increase, thereby deteriorating the performance of the battery. Therefore, the concentration of the lithium salt is preferably 2.0 M or less.

II . Wherein the organic electrolyte solution comprises a lithium- Sulfur  battery

According to another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a lithium-sulfur battery including the above-described organic electrolytic solution.

The lithium-sulfur battery includes an organic electrolyte including an organic solvent containing 0.1 to 20% by volume of a carbonate-based solvent, 80 to 99.9% by volume of an ether-based solvent, and a lithium salt dispersed in the organic solvent, And may have a conventional structure.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the lithium-sulfur battery comprises: a positive electrode including a sulfur; A negative electrode comprising lithium metal or a lithium alloy; A separator positioned between the cathode and the anode; And the organic electrolyte impregnated in the anode, the cathode, and the separator.

The positive electrode, the negative electrode, and the separator included in the lithium-sulfur battery may be prepared according to conventional components and manufacturing methods, respectively. By way of non-limiting example, the anode may comprise a sulfur as an active material, and the sulfur may be included in the form of a sulfur-carbon composite. The negative electrode includes lithium metal or a lithium alloy as an active material. The lithium alloy may be an alloy of lithium and a metal such as Na, K, Rb, Cs, Fr, Be, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, Ra, Al or Sn.

The separator separates or insulates the positive electrode and the negative electrode from each other, and enables transport of lithium ions between the positive electrode and the negative electrode. Such a separator may be made of a porous, nonconductive or insulating material. The separator may be an independent member such as a film, or a coating layer added to the anode and / or the cathode.

The organic electrolytic solution is contained in the lithium-sulfur battery in a state impregnated with the positive electrode, the negative electrode and the separator.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a battery module including the above-described lithium-sulfur battery as a unit battery. The battery module may be applied to various electronic devices, electric vehicles, electric power storage devices, and the like.

The organic electrolytic solution for a lithium-sulfur battery according to the present invention enables the development of an improved energy density and an overcharge phenomenon when the battery is charged. Lithium-sulfur batteries containing such organic electrolytes may have more favorable properties for commercialization, such as exhibiting improved performance and stability.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a graph showing changes in voltage versus charge and discharge capacity for each lithium-sulfur battery including an organic electrolyte according to an embodiment of the present invention and a comparative example. FIG.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. However, the following embodiments are intended to illustrate the invention, but the invention is not limited thereto.

Example  One

65 wt% of sulfur, 25 wt% of carbon black, and 10 wt% of polyether oxide were mixed with acetonitrile to prepare a cathode active material. The positive electrode active material was coated on an aluminum current collector and dried to prepare a positive electrode.

Lithium foil having a thickness of 150 mu m was prepared as a cathode, and a polyethylene film having a thickness of 16 mu m was prepared as a separator.

Then, 85 parts by volume of an ether solvent containing 15 vol% of propylene carbonate as a carbonate solvent and 1,2-dimethoxyethane: tetraethylene glycol dimethyl ether: 1,3-dioxolane in a volume ratio of 1: 1: %, And 1.0 M LiN (CF ₃ SO ₂ ) ₂ and 0.1 M LiNO ₃ as a lithium salt were added thereto to prepare an organic electrolytic solution.

A separator was interposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode, and the battery was housed in the battery case, and then the organic electrolyte was injected to prepare a lithium-sulfur battery.

Example  2

The organic solvent contained in the organic electrolytic solution was an ether-based solvent containing 5% by volume of propylene carbonate and 1,2-dimethoxyethane: tetraethylene glycol dimethyl ether: 1,3-dioxolane in a volume ratio of 1: 1: Lithium-sulfur battery was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the solvent was used in an amount of 95 vol%.

Example  3

The organic solvent contained in the organic electrolytic solution was an ether-based solvent containing 1 vol% of propylene carbonate and 1,2-dimethoxyethane: tetraethylene glycol dimethyl ether: 1,3-dioxolane in a volume ratio of 1: 1: A lithium-sulfur battery was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the solvent was used in an amount of 99 vol%.

Comparative Example  One

The organic solvent contained in the organic electrolytic solution is an ether-based solvent containing 1,2-dimethoxyethane: tetraethylene glycol dimethyl ether: 1,3-dioxolane in a volume ratio of 1: 1: 1 without using a carbonate- Lithium-sulfur battery was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the solvent was used in an amount of 100 vol%.

Comparative Example  2

The organic solvent contained in the organic electrolytic solution was an ether-based solvent containing 25% by volume of propylene carbonate and 1,2-dimethoxyethane: tetraethylene glycol dimethyl ether: 1,3-dioxolane in a volume ratio of 1: 1: A lithium-sulfur battery was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the solvent was used in an amount of 75 vol%.

Test Example  One

The initial capacity was measured for each lithium-sulfur battery according to Examples and Comparative Examples, and the results are shown in Table 1 below.

Example 1 Example 2 Example 3 Comparative Example 1 Comparative Example 2 Initial capacity (mAh / g) 764.9 1298.9 1106.86 1030.75 388.26

Test Example  2

For each lithium-sulfur battery according to Examples and Comparative Examples, the change in voltage with respect to charge and discharge capacity was measured at a rate of 0.1 C-rate, and the results are shown in FIG.

Referring to FIG. 1, the battery of Example 2 showed an improvement in the first discharge capacity by about 26% as compared with the battery of Comparative Example 1. It was confirmed that the overvoltage generated upon 1st charging of the batteries of Examples 1 to 3 was relaxed. For example, in comparison with Example 2 and Comparative Example 1, in the process of charging after the initial discharge, charging starts at 2.2 V (vs. Li / Li +) or higher in Comparative Example 1, (vs. Li / Li < + >). As described above, when the carbonate solvent is added to the ether solvent at a specific content ratio, the overvoltage generated during charging can be reduced and the energy utilization can be increased.

Claims (9)

An organic solvent containing 0.1 to 20% by volume of a carbonate-based solvent and 80 to 99.9% by volume of an ether-based solvent; And
A lithium salt dispersed in the organic solvent
An organic electrolyte solution for a lithium-sulfur battery. The method according to claim 1,
The carbonate-based solvent is at least one compound selected from the group consisting of ethylene carbonate, propylene carbonate, butylene carbonate, dimethyl carbonate, diethyl carbonate, dipropyl carbonate, dibutyl carbonate and ethyl methyl carbonate. Electrolytic solution. The method according to claim 1,
The ether-based solvent includes acyclic ethers and cyclic ethers in a volume ratio of 1: 0.3 to 1: 0.7. The method of claim 3,
The non-cyclic ethers include 1,2-dimethoxyethane, 1,2-diethoxyethane, 1,2-dibutoxyethane, Diethylene glycol dimethyl ether, diethylene glycol diethyl ether, triethylene glycol dimethyl ether, triethylene glycol diethyl ether, diethylene glycol dimethyl ether, Wherein the organic solvent is at least one compound selected from the group consisting of tetraethylene glycol dimethyl ether, and tetraethylene glycol diethyl ether. The method of claim 3,
The cyclic ethers include 1,3-dioxolane, 4,5-dimethyl-dioxolane, 4,5-diethyl-dioxolane (4 , 5-diethyl-dioxolane, 4-methyl-1,3-dioxolane, 4-ethyl-1,3-dioxolane, dioxolane, tetrahydrofuran, 2-methyl tetrahydrofuran, 2,5-dimethyl tetrahydrofuran, 2,5-dimethoxytetrahydrofuran, 2-ethoxy tetrahydrofuran, 2-methoxy-1, 3-dioxolane, 2-vinyl- 2-vinyl-1,3-dioxolane, 2,2-dimethyl-1,3-dioxolane, 2-methoxy-1,3-dioxolane, 2-ethyl-2-methyl-1,3-dioxolane, Tetrahydropyran, 1,4-dioxane, 1,2-dimethoxybenzene, 1,2-dimethoxybenzene, One selected from the group consisting of 1,3-dimethoxy benzene, 1,4-dimethoxy benzene, and isosorbide dimethyl ether. An organic electrolyte solution for a lithium-sulfur battery, which is the above compound. The method of claim 3,
Wherein the organic solvent contains 0.1 to 20% by volume of the carbonate-based solvent, 50 to 70% by volume of the cyclic ether, and 25 to 35% by volume of the cyclic ether. The method according to claim 1,
The lithium salt is _{LiSCN, LiBr, LiI, LiNO 3} , LiPF 6, LiBF 4, LiSbF 6, LiAsF 6, LiCH 3 SO 3, LiCF 3 SO 3, LiClO 4, Li (Ph) 4, LiC (CF 3 SO 2 _{) 3, LiN (CF 3 SO} 2) 2, LiN (C 2 F 5 SO 2) 2, LiN (SFO 2) 2), and _{LiN (CF 3 CF 2 SO 2} ) at least one member selected from the group consisting of ₂ Organic electrolyte for a lithium-sulfur battery. A positive electrode containing a sulfur;
A negative electrode comprising lithium metal or a lithium alloy;
A separator positioned between the cathode and the anode; And
The organic electrolytic solution according to claim 1 impregnated into the positive electrode, the negative electrode and the separator
≪ / RTI > A battery module comprising the lithium-sulfur battery according to claim 8 as a unit cell.

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