Tellurium nanotubes grown on carbon fiber cloth as cathode for flexible all-solid-state lithium-tellurium batteries

Single crystalline tellurium (Te) nanotubes grown on carbon fiber cloth (Te/CFC) conductive substrates have been prepared by a chemical vapor deposition (CVD), which are used as the cathode for flexible all-solid-state lithium-tellurium (Li-Te) rechargeable batteries with high safety. To refrain from the dissolution of Te nanotubes in carbonate electrolytic solution and enhance the long-term security of Li-Te batteries, we directly assemble Te/CFC cathode, polymer solid electrolyte and Li metal anode into flexible all-solid-state Li-Te batteries with the sandwich structure, without using any ancillary materials. The solvent-free feature and high conductivity of Te nanotubes grown on carbon substrate endow the excellent electrochemical performance and long-term security of Li-Te batteries. A high gravimetric capacity of 316 mA h g−1 and a volumetric capacity of 1979 mA h cm−3 after 500 cycles at a current density of 100 mA g−1 can be obtained, respectively. It also exhibits excellent rate capabilities for Li-Te batteries, which is attributed to the synergetic effect from integrated structure of electrodes and solvent-free solid-state electrolyte. These results demonstrate that flexible all-solid-state Li-Te rechargeable batteries based on Te/CFC cathode show promising applications in safe energy storage and portable electronic devices.