Blackberry-like hollow graphene spheres synthesized by spray drying for high-performance lithium-sulfur batteries

Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries represent one of the most promising battery techniques in 21st century. However, the practical implementation of Li-S batteries is impeded by several intractable obstacles including the poor conductivity of sulfur, shuttling behaviour of polysulfides intermediates, and large volume change during sulfur lithiation. Thus, the rational design and morphological control of sulfur cathode paves the way to Li-S batteries practicalizations. Herein, we develop a blackberry-like hollow graphene sphere through spray drying method as a promising sulfur host for Li-S batteries. Attributed to the uniform sulfur distribution, fast reaction kinetics, and excellent sulfur immobilization, the S-HGS composite electrode achieves a highly reversible capacity of 780 mAh g(-1), a great rate capability as well as cyclability without adding additives. (C) 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.