Novel electro-spun sulfur wire for fabricating mattes of lithium-sulfur batteries

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2026038808-A1
Application number	US-202519297934-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 12, 2025
Priority date	Mar 12, 2015
Publication date	Feb 5, 2026
Grant date	—

Abstract

The invention relates to lithium-based battery systems and, more particularly, to electro-spinable solution compositions, electro-spun sulfur-polymer fibers, e.g., wires and yarns, and their use in preparing high performance sulfur mattes, e.g., electrodes, for lithium-sulfur batteries with potential applications in small-scale mobile devices. The sulfur-polymer fibers have nanoscale dimensions and yarn-like morphology. The sulfur-polymer fibers can be prepared by co-dissolving sulfur and polymer in a solvent for forming the electro-spinable solution, and electrospinning the solution. The electrospun fibers can be used to form a composite that includes alternating layers of the electrospun fibers and polymer on a current collector.

First claim

1 .- 12 . (canceled)

13 . A method of preparing electrospun sulfur-polymer fiber, comprising:
obtaining a sulfur component; obtaining a polymer component; co-dissolving the sulfur component and the polymer component in solvent to form a solution; electro-spinning the solution; and forming the electrospun sulfur-polymer fiber.

14 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
depositing one or more layers of the electrospun sulfur-polymer fiber on a current collector; depositing one or more layers of a conducting polymer in an alternating configuration with the one or more layers of the electrospun sulfur-polymer fiber; and forming a composite.

15 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising employing said composite as a sulfur electrode for a lithium-based battery.

16 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the polymer component is selected from the group consisting of polystyrene, polyaniline, polythiophene, polypyrrole, polyacrylamide, polyvinylidene fluoride, and a family of nitriles, amines, amides, and ethers, with functional groups selected from oxygen, fluorine, sulfur, selenium, tellurium, phosphorus and nitrogen, and mixtures thereof.

17 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the polymer component further comprises graphene.

18 . The method of claims 17 , wherein the polymer component is a mixture or blend of graphene and polymer.

19 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the polymer component further comprises carbon nanotubes.

20 . The method of 13 , wherein a precursor of the sulfur component is sulfur powder.

21 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the electrospun sulfur-polymer fiber comprises nanoscale dimensions and yarn-like morphology.

22 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the electrospun sulfur-polymer fiber has a diameter from about 100 nanometers to about 10 μm.

23. The method of claim 13 , wherein the electrospun sulfur-polymer fiber has a continuous. length from about 12 to about 24 inches.

24 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the sulfur component comprises from about 30% to about 75% by weight based on total weight of the sulfur component and the polymer component.

25 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising depositing a lithium ion conducting coating composition on the electrospun sulfur-polymer fiber.

26 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the sulfur component and the polymer component are thoroughly mixed prior to co-dissolution in solvent.

27 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the polymer component is interwoven with the sulfur component.

28 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the polymer component forms a polymer layer or coating on the sulfur component.

29 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the sulfur-polymer fiber is in a form of a matte.

30 . A method of preparing a sulfur-polymer fiber, comprising:
obtaining a sulfur component; obtaining a polymer component; and configuring the sulfur component and the polymer component such that the sulfur component encapsulates the polymer component.

31 . The method of claim 30 , wherein the sulfur component and the polymer component form a composite configuration, comprising:
one or more layers of the sulfur component; and one or more layers of the polymer component; and, depositing layer-by-layer the one or more layers of the sulfur component and one or more layers of the polymer component, wherein one or more alternating layers of the sulfur component and the polymer component are deposited onto a current collector.

Assignees

• Univ Pittsburgh Commonwealth Sys Higher Education

Inventors

• Kumta Prashant N
• Hanumantha Prashanth Jampani
• Gattu Bharat
• Shanthi Pavithra Murugavel

Classifications

• H01M2220/30

  Batteries in portable systems, e.g. mobile phone, laptop · CPC title

• H01M2004/021

  Physical characteristics, e.g. porosity, surface area · CPC title

• D10B2321/121

  polystyrene · CPC title

• D10B2101/00

  Inorganic fibres · CPC title

• D01F6/88

  from mixtures of polycondensation products as major constituent with other polymers or low-molecular-weight compounds · CPC title