READ ME File For 'Dataset for A Critical Evaluation of the Effect of Electrode Thickness
and Side Reactions on Electrolytes for Aluminum–Sulfur Batteries'

Dataset DOI: 10.5258/SOTON/D1326

ReadMe Author: He Li, University of Southampton

This dataset supports the publication:
AUTHORS: John Lampkin, He Li, Liam Furness, Rinaldo Raccichini, Nuria Garcia-Araez
TITLE: A Critical Evaluation of the Effect of Electrode Thickness and Side Reactions on Electrolytes for Aluminum–Sulfur Batteries
JOURNAL: ChemSusChem
PAPER DOI: 10.1002/cssc.202000447R2


This dataset contains:


The figures are as follows:

Figure 1a: 1st cycle voltage profiles of thick (139 µm) and thin (22 µm) cathode coatings when using EMIMCl-AlCl3 (1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride-aluminium chloride, 1:1.5 molar ratio). Experiments used a specific current of 50 mA/gS and a 0.05-1.85 V voltage range. Cathodes contain 60 % sulfur and CNT as conductive additive.

Figure 1b: 1st cycle voltage profiles of thick (139 µm) and thin (22 µm) cathode coatings when using Acetalumina (acetamide: AlCl3, 1:1.5 molar ratio). Experiments used a specific current of 50 mA/gS and a 0.05-1.85 V voltage range. Cathodes contain 60 % sulfur and CNT as conductive additive.

Figure 1c: 1st cycle voltage profiles of thick (139 µm) and thin (22 µm) cathode coatings when using Uralumina (urea: AlCl3, 1:1.5 molar ratio). Experiments used a specific current of 50 mA/gS and a 0.05-1.85 V voltage range. Cathodes contain 60 % sulfur and CNT as conductive additive.

Figure 3a: 1st discharge capacity values plotted against the sulfur loading in EMIMCl-AlCl3 (1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride-aluminium chloride, 1:1.5 molar ratio).

Figure 3b: 1st discharge capacity values plotted against the sulfur loading in Acetalumina (acetamide: AlCl3, 1:1.5 molar ratio).

Figure 3c: 1st discharge capacity values plotted against the sulfur loading in Uralumina (urea: AlCl3, 1:1.5 molar ratio).

Figure 3d: 1st discharge capacity values plotted against the cathode coating thickness in EMIMCl-AlCl3 (1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride-aluminium chloride, 1:1.5 molar ratio).

Figure 3e: 1st discharge capacity values plotted against the cathode coating thickness in Acetalumina (acetamide: AlCl3, 1:1.5 molar ratio).

Figure 3f: 1st discharge capacity values plotted against the cathode coating thickness in Uralumina (urea: AlCl3, 1:1.5 molar ratio).

Figure 6: Nyquist plots of symmetrical cells containing thin (~60 µm), medium (~120 µm) and thick (~190 µm) sulfur cathode coatings in Uralumina (urea: AlCl3, 1:1.5 molar ratio). A 10 mV perturbation with a frequency range 200 kHz-10 mHz was used.

Figure 7a: 1st cycle voltage profile of cathodes made with only CNT and binder using EMIMCl-AlCl3 (1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride-aluminium chloride, 1:1.5 molar ratio). Experiments
used a specific current of 100 mA/gC and the voltage range is 0.05-1.85 V.

Figure 7b: 1st cycle voltage profile of cathodes made with only CNT and binder using Acetalumina (acetamide: AlCl3, 1:1.5 molar ratio). Experiments
used a specific current of 100 mA/gC and the voltage range is 0.05-1.85 V.

Figure 7c: 1st cycle voltage profile of cathodes made with only CNT and binder using Uralumina (urea: AlCl3, 1:1.5 molar ratio). Experiments
used a specific current of 100 mA/gC and the voltage range is 0.05-1.85 V.

Figure 8a: First three galvanostatic cycles of the thin cathode coatings in EMIMCl-AlCl3 (1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride-aluminium chloride, 1:1.5 molar ratio). Experiments used a specific current of 50 mA/gS and a 0.05-1.85 V voltage range. Cathodes contain 60 % sulfur and CNT as conductive additive.

Figure 8b: First three galvanostatic cycles of the thin cathode coatings in Acetalumina (acetamide: AlCl3, 1:1.5 molar ratio). Experiments used a specific current of 50 mA/gS and a 0.05-1.85 V voltage range. Cathodes contain 60 % sulfur and CNT as conductive additive.

Figure 8c: First three galvanostatic cycles of the thin cathode coatings in Uralumina (urea: AlCl3, 1:1.5 molar ratio). Experiments used a specific current of 50 mA/gS and a 0.05-1.85 V voltage range. Cathodes contain 60 % sulfur and CNT as conductive additive.

Figure 9: Discharge capacity versus cycle number data for the thin cathode coatings in EMIMCl-AlCl3 (1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride-aluminium chloride, 1:1.5 molar ratio), Acetalumina (acetamide: AlCl3, 1:1.5 molar ratio) and Uralumina (urea: AlCl3, 1:1.5 molar ratio). Experiments used a specific current of 50 mA/gS and a 0.05-1.85 V voltage range. Cathodes contain 60 % sulfur and CNT as conductive additive.

Figure 10: Powder diffraction pattern (grazing incidence, incident angle of 5°) of a sulfur cathode of 110 µm cathode thickness, in the pristine state and after a full discharge to 0.05 V. The diffraction pattern of crystalline sulfur is also shown for comparison, as well as the diffraction pattern of the sample holder.

Figure S1: Cycling of Al-Al symmetrical cells in EMIMCl-AlCl3 (1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride-aluminium chloride, 1:1.5 molar ratio), Acetalumina (acetamide: AlCl3, 1:1.5 molar ratio) and Uralumina (urea: AlCl3, 1:1.5 molar ratio) at a current density of 67.3 µA/cm˛.

Figure S2: 1st cycle voltage profile of an Al-S battery with an extended upper voltage limit, showing a voltage plateau at ca. 2 V associated to the oxidation of the electrolyte. Electrolyte: EMIMCl-AlCl3 (1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride-aluminium chloride, 1:1.5 molar ratio). Sulfur composite electrode composition: sulfur (24.4%wt), acetylene black (56.6%wt) and PTFE (10%wt). Specific current: 50 mA/gS.

Figure S6: Powder X-ray diffraction pattern of the carbon nanotubes (98 % carbon basis). The pattern was recorded with Bruker D2 phaser (Bruker Corporation) with Cu Ka radiation operated at 30 kV, 10 mA between (10<2?/°<70).


Date of data collection: 26/02/2018 to 19/12/2019

Information about geographic location of data collection: Southampton, UK

Licence: CC-BY 

Related projects: European Commission Horizon 2020 FEP-OPEN project SALBAGE (766581), EPSRC (EP/N024303/1)

Date that the file was created: April, 2020