Preparation and characterization of prospective disulfide based electrode materials for lithium batteries

Organic disulfide compounds are having higher theoretical capacity than the conventional cathode material and are considered as the important storage material. Here, we are reporting the preparation of poly (2,2'-dithiodianiline) PDDA/multiwall carbon nanotubes, (MWCNTs) composites under different experimental conditions. Amine functionalized and unfunctionalized MWCNTs were independently used for the preparation of composites. Composites were prepared in the presence of cetyl trimethyl bromide (CTAB), a cationic surfactant, and also in the absence of CTAB. A physical mixture of PDTDA and MWCNTs was formed with unfunctionalized MWCNTs. Grafting of PDDA onto MWCNTs was performed by chemical oxidative polymerization of 2, 2'-dithiodianiline in the presence of amine functionalized MWCNTs. The composites of MWCNTs and PDTDA were characterized for structure, morphology and thermal properties through Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Fourier transform Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and UV-visible spectroscopy. The composite materials prepared by this method are expected to find applications as electrode materials for lithium batteries.