Fluorinated graphene nanoribbons from unzipped single-walled carbon nanotubes for ultrahigh energy density lithium-fluorinated carbon batteries

• Published in: Science China materials Vol. 64; no. 6; pp. 1367 - 1377
• Main Authors: Peng, Cong, Kong, Lingchen, Li, Yu, Fu, Haoyu, Sun, Lidong, Feng, Yiyu, Feng, Wei
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Beijing Science China Press 01.06.2021; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Carbon; Cathodes; Chemistry and Materials Science; Chemistry/Food Science; Fluorides; Fluorination; Fluorine; Flux density; Graphene; High temperature; Lithium; Materials Science; Monolayers; Nanoribbons; Periodic structures; Power sources; Single wall carbon nanotubes; ultrahigh energy density; fluorinated graphene nanoribbons; lithium-fluorinated carbon batteries; unzipped; single-walled carbon nanotubes
• ISSN: 2095-8226; 2199-4501
• DOI: 10.1007/s40843-020-1551-x

Lithium-fluorinated carbon (Li-CF x ) batteries have become one of the most widely applied power sources for high energy density applications because of the advantages provided by the CF x cathode. Moreover, the large gap between the practical and theoretical potentials alongside the stoichiometric limit of commercial graphite fluorides indicates the potential for further energy improvement. Herein, monolayer fluorinated graphene nanoribbons (F-GNRs) were fabricated by unzipping single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) using pure F 2 gas at high temperature, which delivered an unprecedented energy density of 2738.45 W h kg −1 due to the combined effect of a high fluorination degree and discharge plateau, realized by the abundant edges and destroyed periodic structure, respectively. Furthermore, at a high fluorination temperature, the theoretical calculation confirmed a zigzag pathway of fluorine atoms that were adsorbed outside of the SWCNTs and hence initiated the spontaneous process of unzipping SWCNTs to form the monolayer F-GNRs. The controllable fluorination of SWCNTs provided a feasible approach for preparing CF x compounds for different applications, especially for ultrahigh energy density cathodes.