Spin Effect to Promote Reaction Kinetics and Overall Performance of Lithium-Sulfur Batteries under External Magnetic Field

Lithium-sulfur batteries (LSBs) are still limited by the shuttle of lithium polysulfides (LiPS) and the slow Li-S reaction. Herein, we demonstrate that when using cobalt sulfide as a catalytic additive, an external magnetic field generated by a permanent magnet can significantly improve the LiPS adsorption ability and the Li-S reaction kinetics. More specifically, the results show both experimentally and theoretically how an electron spin polarization of Co ions reduces electron repulsion and enhances the degree of orbital hybridization, thus resulting in LSBs with unprecedented performance and stability. Under an external magnetic field, LSBs with 0.0084 % per cycle decay rate at 2 C during 8150 cycles are produced. Overall, this work not only demonstrates an effective strategy to promote LiPS adsorption and electrochemical conversion in LSBs at no additional energy cost but also enriches the application of the spin effect in the electrocatalysis fields.

Automated summary

The study demonstrates that using an external magnetic field in lithium-sulfur batteries can significantly improve the LiPS adsorption ability and Li-S reaction kinetics. The electron spin polarization of Co ions reduces electron repulsion and enhances orbital hybridization, resulting in LSBs with unprecedented performance and stability.