Li₂S cathode modified with polyvinylpyrrolidone and mechanical milling with carbon

Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) is used with polyethylene oxide (PEO) as a mixed binder for mechanically milled Li₂S. PVP demonstrates its advantage in terms of increasing the capacity of Li₂S, but boosts the potential barrier at the beginning of the first charge. It is also revealed that PVP retards the charge-transfer kinetics of Li₂S. In Li₂S-C prepared by mechanical milling, carbon compensates for the electrochemical insulation of the PVP binder and improves the cycle stability. As a result, the Li₂S-C-PVP electrode with 60 wt% Li₂S content displays a low potential barrier at the onset of charge and a stable capacity of about 460 mAh g^-1 at 0.1 C.