Hierarchical Nanoreactor with Multiple Adsorption and Catalytic Sites for Robust Lithium-Sulfur Batteries

Developing high-performance cathode host materials is fundamental to solve the low utilization of sulfur, the sluggish redox kinetics, and the lithium polysulfide (LiPS) shuttle effect in lithium-sulfur batteries (LSBs). Here, a multifunctional Ag/VN@Co/NCNT nanocomposite with multiple adsorption and catalytic sites within hierarchical nano-reactors is reported as a robust sulfur host for LSB cathodes. In this hierarchical nanoreactor, heterostructured Ag/VN nano-rods serve as a highly conductive backbone structure and provide internal catalytic and adsorption sites for LiPS conversion. Interconnected nitrogen-doped carbon nano-tubes (NCNTs), in situ grown from the Ag/VN surface, greatly improve the overall specific surface area for sulfur dispersion and accommodate volume changes in the reaction process. Owing to their high LiPS adsorption ability, outer Co nanoparticles at the top of the NCNTs catch escaped LiPS, thus effectively suppressing the shuttle effect and enhancing kinetics. Benefiting from the multiple adsorption and catalytic sites of the developed hierarchical nanoreactors, Ag/VN@Co/NCNTs@S cathodes display outstanding electrochemical performances, including a superior rate performance of 609.7 mAh g(-1) at 4 C and a good stability with a capacity decay of 0.018% per cycle after 2000 cycles at 2 C. These properties demonstrate the exceptional potential of Ag/VN@Co/NCNTs@S nanocomposites and approach LSBs closer to their real-world application.

Automated summary

Developing high-performance cathode host materials is crucial for solving the issues of low sulfur utilization, sluggish redox kinetics, and LiPS shuttle effect in lithium-sulfur batteries. The multifunctional Ag/VN@Co/NCNT nanocomposite with hierarchical nano-reactors shows outstanding electrochemical performances, bringing lithium-sulfur batteries closer to practical application.