Nanoscale stabilization of Li-sulfur batteries by atomic layer deposited Al2O3

An atomic layer deposited (ALD) Al2O3 coating applied to sulfur cathodes has been studied in this paper. It is demonstrated that the Al2O3 coating improves the cycling stability of Li-sulfur batteries. The underlying mechanism by synchrotron-based X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was investigated. The coating layer not only protects the polysulfide from dissolution, but also facilitates the utilization of sulfur, demonstrating improved electrochemical performances.