Yttrium oxide nanorods as electrocatalytic polysulfides traps for curbing shuttle effect in lithium-sulfur batteries

Although lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries have high theoretical specific capacity, their development is limited by low reaction kinetics during solid-liquid conversion of polysulfides and severe dissolution of polysulfides leading in loss of active materials and the corrosion of Li metal. In this paper, a novel electrode material which synthesized by yttrium oxide (Y2O3) nanorods modified Ketjen black@sulfur (Y2O3/KB@S) composites is introduced and evaluated in Li-S batteries. Y2O3 nanorods have good adsorption-catalytic synergistic effect on polysulfides, which can curb the shuttle effect and enhance the redox kinetics of polysulfides. The initial specific discharge capacity of Y2O3/KB@S electrode shows 828 mAh g(-1) at 0.5 C current density, and the capacity maintains at 388 mAh g(-1) after 500 cycles with the areal sulfur loading of 3.1 mg cm(-2). Furthermore, Y2O3/KB@S cathode delivered 5.09 mAh g(-1) discharge capacity and retained 4.21 mAh g(-1) after 100 cycles at 0.2 C current density when the areal sulfur loading increasing to 5.0 mg cm(-2). Therefore, Y2O3 nanorods modified Li-S battery cathode material has good application potential in its industrialization process. (C) 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

The novel electrode material modified by Y2O3 nanorods shows promising performance in Li-S batteries, indicating good application potential in industrialization.