Sulfur/PAN/acetylene black composite prepared by a solution processing technique for lithium–sulfur batteries

A sulfur/poly(acrylonitrile)–PAN/acetylene black–AB composite, comprising sulfur and PAN encapsulated in the pores of AB was prepared by a solution‐based technique with dimethyl sulfoxide as the solvent. The composite was characterized by TGA, X‐ray diffraction, FTIR, Raman, SEM, TEM, and BET studies. The composite exhibited a high discharge capacity of 1330 mAh/g in the first cycle. The AB additive plays multiple roles in the composite, acting as a conducting matrix for electron transport and as a porous framework that adsorbs and retains electrolyte. The presence of PAN along with the porous carbon matrix in the composite provides the necessary resilience to absorb strains due to volume expansion during cycling. The observed improved performance of the composite is primarily attributed to the small size and homogeneous distribution of sulfur in the composite. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018 , 135, 46598.