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Science 20 August 1993:
Vol. 261. no. 5124, pp. 1029 - 1032
DOI: 10.1126/science.261.5124.1029
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Articles

A Solid Sulfur Cathode for Aqueous Batteries

Dharmasena Peramunage 1 and Stuart Licht 1

1 Department of Chemistry, Clark University, Worcester, MA 01610

Because of its high resistivity and subsequent low electroactivity, sulfur is not normally considered a room-temperature battery cathode. An elemental sulfur cathode has been made with a measured capacity of over 900 ampere·hours per kilogram, more than 90 percent of the theoretical storage capacity of solid sulfur at room temperature, accessed by means of a lightweight, highly conductive, aqueous polysulfide interface through the electrocatalyzed reaction S + H2O + 2e- rarr HS- + OH-. This solid sulfur cathode was first used in a battery with an aluminum anode for an overall discharge reaction 2Al + 3S + 3OH- + 3H2O rarr 2Al(OH)3 + 3HS-, giving a cell potential of 1.3 volts. The theoretical specific energy of the aluminum-sulfur battery (based on potassium salts) is 910 watt·hours per kilogram with an experimental specific energy of up to 220 watt·hours per kilogram.

Submitted on April 16, 1993
Accepted on June 24, 1993

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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)