Interfacial “double-terminal binding sites” catalysts synergistically boosting the electrocatalytic Li2S redox for durable lithium-sulfur batteries

Huifang Xu, Qingbin Jiang, Kwan San Hui, Shuo Wang, Lingwen Liu, Tianyu Chen, Yunshan Zheng, Weng Fai Ip, Duc Anh Dinh, Chenyang Zha, Zhan Lin, Kwun Nam Hui

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    Abstract

    Catalytic conversion of polysulfides emerges as a promising approach to improve the kinetics and mitigate polysulfide shuttling in lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries, especially under conditions of high sulfur loading and lean electrolyte. Herein, we present a separator architecture that incorporates double-terminal binding (DTB) sites within a nitrogen-doped carbon framework, consisting of polar Co0.85Se and Co clusters (Co/Co0.85Se@NC), to enhance the durability of Li-S batteries. The uniformly dispersed clusters of polar Co0.85Se and Co offer abundant active sites for lithium polysulfides (LiPSs), enabling efficient LiPS conversion while also serving as anchors through a combination of chemical interactions. Density functional theory calculations, along with in situ Raman and X-ray diffraction characterizations, reveal that the DTB effect strengthens the binding energy to polysulfides and lowers the energy barriers of polysulfide redox reactions. Li-S batteries utilizing the Co/Co0.85Se@NC-modified separator demonstrate exceptional cycling stability (0.042% per cycle over 1000 cycles at 2 C) and rate capability (849 mAh g-1 at 3 C), as well as deliver an impressive areal capacity of 10.0 mAh cm-2 even in challenging conditions with a high sulfur loading (10.7 mg cm-2) and lean electrolyte environments (5.8 μL mg-1). The DTB site strategy offers valuable insights into the development of high-performance Li-S batteries.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)8839-8852
    Number of pages14
    JournalACS Nano
    Volume18
    Issue number12
    Early online date11 Mar 2024
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 26 Mar 2024

    Keywords

    • binding energy
    • double-terminal binding sites
    • energy barriers
    • separator architecture
    • superb electrocatalysis

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