The effect of NiO-Ni3N interfaces in in-situ formed heterostructure ultrafine nanoparticles on enhanced polysulfide regulation in lithium-sulfur batteries

Inhibiting the shuttle effect of soluble polysulfides and improving reaction kinetics are the key factors necessary for further exploration of high-performance Li-S batteries. Herein, an effective interface engineering strategy is reported, wherein nitriding of an Ni-based precursor is controlled to enhance Li-S cell regulation. The resulting in-situ formed NiO-Ni3N heterostructure interface not only has a stronger polysulfide adsorption effect than that of monomeric NiO or Ni3N but also has a faster Li ion diffusion ability than a simple physical mixture. More importantly, this approach couples the respective advantages of NiO and Ni3N to reduce polarization and facilitate electron transfer during polysulfide reactions and synergistically catalyze polysulfide conversion. In addition, ultrafine nanoparticles are thought to effectively improve the use of additive materials. In summary, Li-S batteries based on this NiO-Ni3N heterostructure have the features of long cycle stability, rapid charging-discharging, and good performance under high sulfur loading. (C) 2022 Chinese Society of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Production and hosting by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

An effective interface engineering strategy is reported in this study, which enhances the regulation of Li-S batteries by controlling the nitriding of a nickel-based precursor. The resulting NiO-Ni3N heterostructure interface shows stronger polysulfide adsorption and faster Li ion diffusion compared to monomeric NiO or Ni3N, effectively reducing polarization and facilitating polysulfide conversion.