Organic Dye-Derived N, S Co-Doped Porous Carbon Hosts for Effective Lithium Polysulfide Confinement in Lithium-Sulfur Batteries

Lithium-sulfur batteries are considered as attractive candidates for next-generation energy storage systems originating from their high theoretical capacity and energy density. However, the severe shuttling of behavior caused by the dissolution of lithium polysulfide intermediates during cycling remains a challenge for practical applications. Herein, porous carbon materials co-doped with nitrogen and sulfur atoms were prepared through a facile hydrothermal reaction of graphene oxide and methylene blue to obtain a suitable host structure for regulating the lithium polysulfide shuttling behavior. Experimental results demonstrated that the abundant heteroatom-containing moieties in the carbon frameworks not only generated favorable active sites for capturing lithium polysulfide but also enhanced redox reaction kinetics of lithium polysulfide intermediates. Consequently, the corresponding sulfur composite electrodes exhibited excellent rate performance and cycling stability along with high Columbic efficiency. This work highlights the approach for the preparation of nitrogen and sulfur co-doped carbon materials derived from organic dye compounds for high performance energy storage systems.

Automated summary

This study focuses on the development of porous carbon materials co-doped with nitrogen and sulfur atoms as a host structure to regulate the shuttling behavior of lithium polysulfides in lithium-sulfur batteries. The experimental results show that these materials enhance the redox reaction kinetics of lithium polysulfide intermediates and provide active sites for capturing them, leading to excellent rate performance, cycling stability, and high Columbic efficiency of the sulfur composite electrodes.