University Chemistry ›› 2022, Vol. 37 ›› Issue (12): 2209063.doi: 10.3866/PKU.DXHX202209063

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A New Journey for Ancient Sulfur: Analysis of Problem 4 of the 54th International Chemistry Olympiad

Shu Li1,*(), Xiaohang Qiu2, Yingxia Wang3, Fangyi Cheng2   

  1. 1 School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, China
    2 College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
    3 College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
  • Received:2022-09-23 Accepted:2022-10-09 Published:2022-10-25
  • Contact: Shu Li E-mail:shuli@nankai.edu.cn

Abstract:

Sulfur is an abundant and inexpensive chemical substance. As cathode material for battery, the theoretical specific capacity of sulfur is as high as 1675 mAh∙g−1. Therefore, lithium-sulfur battery is considered to be one of the most promising devices in the field of energy storage in the future. The problem 4 of the 54th International Chemistry Olympiad takes the frontier research of lithium-sulfur batteries as the main line, and guides students to understand the working principle, fascinating application prospect and some scientific challenges for practical applications of lithium-sulfur batteries. The inspection content covers the chemical reactions between lithium and sulfur-containing substance, back titration, chemical equilibrium, electrochemistry, material and charge conservation.

Key words: Lithium sulfur batteries, Iodimetry, Polysulfuride, Chemical equilibrium, Hess law