Enhanced Polysulfide Regulation via Porous Catalytic V2O3/V8C7 Heterostructures Derived from Metal-Organic Frameworks toward High-Performance Li-S Batteries

A conjugated porous triazine-linked polyimide host with dual confinement of polysulfides for high-performance lithium-sulfur batteries

In the quest for next-generation energy storage solutions, lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries present exceptional potential due to their high energy density and cost-effectiveness. Nevertheless, significant challenges, such as the shuttle effect of lithium polysulfides (LiPSs) and inadequate sulfur utilization, have impeded their practical application. In this study, we report the design and synthesis of a novel covalent organic polymer that integrates a triazine-linked framework with carbonyl-enriched polyimide moieties, serving as a highly effective sulfur host for Li-S batteries. This engineered polymer not only provides abundant micropores for the physical confinement of LiPSs, but also facilitates robust chemical interaction through synergistic N-Li and O-Li bonding. The hierarchical porous architecture enhances sulfur loading, while the extended π-conjugation promotes rapid electron transport during LiPSs conversion. Consequently, the composite cathode achieves an impressive specific capacity of 1352 mAh g-1 at 0.1C, along with sustained cyclic stability (453 mAh g-1 after 400 cycles at 4C). These findings highlight the potential of multifunctional polymeric hosts in addressing critical limitations of Li-S batteries, offering a new blueprint for further developments in the field of high-performance energy storage systems.

Cascade Selenization Regulated the Electronic Structure and Interface Effect of Transition Metal Sulfides for Enhanced Sodium Storage

The utilization of cobalt-based sulfides is constrained by their inherently low conductivity and slow sodium ion diffusion kinetics. Modifying the electronic configuration and constructing heterostructures are promising strategies to enhance intrinsic conductivity and expedite the sodium ion diffusion process. In this study, heterogeneous nanoparticles of Se-substituted CoS2/CoSe2, embedded within heteroatom-modified carbon nanosheet, were synthesized using metal molten salt-assisted dimensionality reduction alongside concurrent sulfurization and selenization techniques. The incorporation of Se into CoS2 markedly enhances its intrinsic conductivity, thereby significantly improving its rate performance. The elongated Co-S bonds and the formation of CoSe2 species contribute to the acceleration of dynamics and facilitate the construction of the CoS2/CoSe2 heterointerface. In situ Raman spectroscopy, in conjunction with theoretical calculations, has elucidated the sodium storage mechanism of the Se-CoS2/CoSe2 and the underlying factors contributing to its enhanced performance. The synergistic effects of interface engineering and electronic structure engineering, have resulted in the optimized Se-CoS2/CoSe2 demonstrating exceptional rate performance, achieving 442 mAh g-1 at 10 A g-1, and a prolonged cycle lifespan, maintaining 409.3 mAh g-1 at 5 A g-1 over 2100 cycles and 262.5 mAh g-1 after 7000 cycles at 10 A g-1. This study presents a viable strategy for integrating electronic structure engineering with interface engineering.

Synergetic Effect of Mo-Doped and Oxygen Vacancies Endows Vanadium Oxide with High-Rate and Long-Life for Aqueous Zinc Ion Battery

Vanadium (V)-based oxides have garnered significant attention as cathode materials for aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) due to their multiple valences and high theoretical capacity. However, their sluggish kinetics and low conductivity remain major obstacles to practical applications. In this study, Mo-doped V2O3 with oxygen vacancies (OVs, Mo-V2O3-x@NC) is prepared from a Mo-doped V-metal organic framework. Ex situ characterizations reveal that the cathode undergoes an irreversible phase transformation from Mo-V2O3-x to Mo-V2O5-x·nH2O and serves as an active material exhibiting excellent Zn2+ storage in subsequent charge-discharge cycles. Mo-doped helps to further improve cycling stability and increases with increasing content. More importantly, the synergistic effect of Mo-doped and OVs not only effectively reduces the Zn2+ migration energy barrier, but also enhances reaction kinetics, and electrochemical performance. Consequently, the cathode demonstrates ultrafast electrochemical kinetics, showing a superior rate performance (190.9 mAh g-1 at 20 A g-1) and excellent long-term cycling stability (147.9 mAh g-1 at 20 A g-1 after 10000 cycles). Furthermore, the assembled pouch cell exhibits excellent cycling stability (313.6 mAh g-1 at 1 A g-1 after 1000 cycles), indicating promising application prospects. This work presents an effective strategy for designing and fabricating metal and OVs co-doped cathodes for high-performance AZIBs.

Electrochemically Active MoO3/TiN Sulfur Host Inducing Dynamically Reinforced Built-in Electric Field for Advanced Lithium-Sulfur Batteries

Although various electrocatalysts have been developed to ameliorate the shuttle effect and sluggish Li-S conversion kinetics, their electrochemical inertness limits the sufficient performance improvement of lithium-sulfur batteries (LSBs). In this work, an electrochemically active MoO3/TiN-based heterostructure (MOTN) is designed as an efficient sulfur host that can improve the overall electrochemical properties of LSBs via prominent lithiation behaviors. By accommodating Li ions into MoO3 nanoplates, the MOTN host can contribute its own capacity. Furthermore, the Li intercalation process dynamically affects the electronic interaction between MoO3 and TiN and thus significantly reinforces the built-in electric field, which further improves the comprehensive electrocatalytic abilities of the MOTN host. Because of these merits, the MOTN host-based sulfur cathode delivers an exceptional specific capacity of 2520 mA h g-1 at 0.1 C. Furthermore, the cathode exhibits superior rate capability (564 mA h g-1 at 5 C), excellent cycling stability (capacity fade rate of 0.034% per cycle for 1200 cycles at 2 C), and satisfactory areal capacity (6.6 mA h cm-2) under a high sulfur loading of 8.3 mg cm-2. This study provides a novel strategy to develop electrochemically active heterostructured electrocatalysts and rationally manipulate the built-in electric field for achieving high-performance LSBs.

A Review on Architecting Rationally Designed Metal-Organic Frameworks for the Next-Generation Li-S Batteries

The modern era demands the development of energy storage devices with high energy density and power density. There is no doubt that lithium‒sulfur batteries (Li‒S) claim high theoretical energy density and have attracted great attention from researchers, but fundamental exploration and practical applications cannot converge to utilize their maximum potential. The design parameters of Li-S batteries involve various complex mechanisms, and their obliviousness has resulted in failure at the commercial level. This article presents a review on rationally designed metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) for improving next-generation Li-S batteries. The use of MOFs in Li-S batteries is of great interest because of their large surface area, porous structure, and selective permeability for ions. The working principles of Li-S batteries, the commercialization of Li-S batteries, and the use of MOFs as electrodes, electrolytes, and separators are critically examined. Finally, designed strategies (host structure, binder improvement, separator modification, lithium metal protection, and electrolyte optimization) are developed to increase the performance of Li-S batteries.

Cobalt Ditelluride Meets Tellurium Vacancy: An Efficient Catalyst as a Multifunctional Polysulfide Mediator toward Robust Lithium-Sulfur Batteries

The commercialization of lithium-sulfur batteries (LSBs) faces significant challenges due to persistent issues, such as the shuttle effect of lithium polysulfides (LiPSs) and the slow kinetics of cathodic reactions. To address these limitations, this study proposes a vacancy-engineered cobalt ditelluride catalyst (v-CoTe2) supported on nitrogen-doped carbon as a sulfur host at the cathode. Density functional theory calculations and experimental results indicate that the electron configuration modulation of v-CoTe2 enhances the chemical affinity and catalytic activity toward LiPS. Specifically, v-CoTe2 can strongly interact with PSs through multisite coordination, effectively facilitating the kinetics of the LiPS redox reaction. Furthermore, the introduction of Te vacancies generates a large number of spin-polarized electrons, further enhancing the reaction kinetics of LiPS. As a result, the v-CoTe2@S cathode demonstrates high initial capacity and excellent cyclic stability, maintaining 80.4% capacity after 500 cycles at a high current rate of 3 C. Even under a high sulfur load of 6.7 mg cm-2, a high areal capacity of 6.1 mA h cm-2 is retained after 50 cycles. These findings highlight the significant potential of Te vacancies in CoTe2 as a sulfur host material for LSBs.

In Situ Phosphorization for Constructing Ni5P2-Ni Heterostructure Derived from Bimetallic MOF for Li-S Batteries

Heterostructured materials commonly consist of bifunctions due to the different ingredients. For host material in the sulfur cathode of lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries, the chemical adsorption and catalytic activity for lithium polysulfides (LiPS) are important. This work obtains a Ni5P2-Ni nanoparticle (Ni5P2-NiNPs) heterostructure through a confined self-reduction method followed by an in situ phosphorization process using Al/Ni-MOF as precursors. The Ni5P2-Ni heterostructure not only has strong chemical adsorption, but also can effectively catalyze LiPS conversion. Furthermore, the synthetic route can keep Ni5P2-NiNPs inside of the nanocomposites, which have structural stability, high conductivity, and efficient adsorption/catalysis in LiPS conversion. These advantages make the assembled Li-S battery deliver a reversible specific capacity of 619.7 mAh g- 1 at 0.5 C after 200 cycles. The in situ ultraviolet-visible technique proves the catalytic effect of Ni5P2-Ni heterostructure on LiPS conversion during the discharge process.

Precisely Designed Ultra-Small CoP Nanoparticles-Decorated Hollow Carbon Nanospheres as Highly Efficient Host in Lithium-Sulfur Batteries

Designing porous carbon materials with metal phosphides as host materials holds promise for enhancing the cyclability and durability of lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries by mitigating sulfur poisoning and exhibiting high electrocatalytic activity. Nevertheless, it is urgent to precisely control the size of metal phosphides to further optimize the polysulfide conversion reaction kinetics of Li-S batteries. Herein, a subtlety regulation strategy was proposed to obtain ultra-small CoP nanoparticles-decorated hollow carbon nanospheres (CoP@C) by using spherical polyelectrolyte brush (SPB) as the template with stabilizing assistance from polydopamine coating, which also works as carbon source. Leveraging the electrostatic interaction between SPB and Co2+, ultra-small Co particles with sizes measuring 5.5±2.6 nm were endowed after calcination. Subsequently, through a gas-solid phosphating process, these Co particles were converted into CoP nanoparticles with significantly finer sizes (7.1±3.1 nm) compared to state-of-the-art approaches. By uniformly distributing the electrocatalyst nanoparticles on hollow carbon nanospheres, CoP@C facilitated the acceleration of Li-ion diffusion and enhanced the conversion reaction kinetics of polysulfides through adsorption-diffusion synergy. As a result, Li-S batteries utilizing the CoP@C/S cathode demonstrated an initial specific discharge capacity of 850.0 mAh g-1 at 1.0 C, with a low-capacity decay rate of 0.03 % per cycle.

Multiple-perspective design of hollow-structured cerium-vanadium-based nanopillar arrays for enhanced overall water electrolysis

It is critical and challenging to develop highly active and low cost bifunctional electrocatalysts for the hydrogen/oxygen evolution reaction (HER/OER) in water electrolysis. Herein, we propose cerium-vanadium-based hollow nanopillar arrays supported on nickel foam (CeV-HNA/NF) as bifunctional HER/OER electrocatalysts, which are prepared by etching the V metal-organic framework with Ce salt and then pyrolyzing. Etching results in multidimensional optimizations of electrocatalysts, covering substantial oxygen vacancies, optimized electronic configurations, and an open-type structure of hollow nanopillar arrays, which contribute to accelerating the charge transfer rate, regulating the adsorption energy of H/O-containing reaction intermediates, and fully exposing the active sites. The reconstruction of the electrocatalyst is also accelerated by Ce doping, which results in highly active hydroxy vanadium oxide interfaces. Therefore, extremely low overpotentials of 170 and 240 mV under a current density of 100 mA cm-2 are achieved for the HER and OER under alkaline conditions, respectively, with long-term stability for 300 h. An electrolysis cell with CeV-HNA/NF as both the cathode and anode delivers a small voltage of 1.53 V to achieve water electrolysis under 10 mA cm-2, accompanied by superior durability for 150 h. This design provides an innovative way to develop advanced bifunctional electrocatalysts for overall water electrolysis.

Heterogenization-Activated Zinc Telluride via Rectifying Interfacial Contact to Afford Synergistic Confinement-Adsorption-Catalysis for High-Performance Lithium-Sulfur Batteries

The notorious shuttle effect and sluggish conversion kinetics of intermediate polysulfides (Li2S4, Li2S6, Li2S8) are severely hindered the large-scale development of Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries. Rectifying interface effect has been a solution to regulate the electron distribution of catalysts via interfacial charge exchange. Herein, a ZnTe-ZnO heterojunction encapsulated in nitrogen-doped hierarchical porous carbon (ZnTe-O@NC) derived from metal-organic framework is fabricated. Theoretical calculations and experiments prove that the built-in electric field constructed at ZnTe-ZnO heterojunction via the rectifying interface contact, thus promoting the charge transfer as well as enhancing adsorption and conversion kinetics toward polysulfides, thereby stimulating the catalytic activity of the ZnTe. Meanwhile, the nitrogen-doped hierarchical porous carbon acts as confinement substrate also enables fast electrons/ions transport, combining with ZnTe-ZnO heterojunction realize a synergistic confinement-adsorption-catalysis toward polysulfides. As a result, the Li-S batteries with S/ZnTe-O@NC electrodes exhibit an impressive rate capability (639.7 mAh g-1 at 3 C) and cycling performance (70% capacity retention at 1 C over 500 cycles). Even with a high sulfur loading, it still delivers a superior electrochemical performance. This work provides a novel perspective on designing highly catalytic materials to achieve synergistic confinement-adsorption-catalysis for high-performance Li-S batteries.

A quantitative analysis method of complex sulfide components for understanding initial capacity degradation mechanism in lithium-sulfur batteries

Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries are a strong contender for the new-generation battery system to meet the growing energy demand due to their significantly high energy density (2600 Wh/kg) and cost-effectiveness. However, the practical operating conditions yield an initial capacity of less than 80 % of the theoretical capacity, resulting in a limited lifespan and hindering broader application. What's worse, current mechanism, especially the evolution process of sulfides for the initial capacity degradation is not clear due to the practical difficulties of effective separation and detection of sulfur-containing components. Herein, we have developed an instrumental analysis method enabling graded leaching and quantitative determination of sulfur-containing components. This technology achieves a detection precision surpassing 99.11 %, addressing the inherent deficiency in calculating sulfur-containing components using the decrement method. Applying this method reveals that the presence of lithium polysulfides in the electrolyte (26.34 wt%) after discharging is the primary factor causing insufficient capacity utilization in Li-S batteries. This work not only demonstrates the unique behavior of Li-S batteries at high sulfur loading but also provides a systematic evaluation method to guide further research on high-energy-density batteries, and provides theoretical and technical support to promote the development of high-energy, long-life Li-S batteries.

Rechargeable Metal-Sulfur Batteries: Key Materials to Mechanisms

Rechargeable metal-sulfur batteries are considered promising candidates for energy storage due to their high energy density along with high natural abundance and low cost of raw materials. However, they could not yet be practically implemented due to several key challenges: (i) poor conductivity of sulfur and the discharge product metal sulfide, causing sluggish redox kinetics, (ii) polysulfide shuttling, and (iii) parasitic side reactions between the electrolyte and the metal anode. To overcome these obstacles, numerous strategies have been explored, including modifications to the cathode, anode, electrolyte, and binder. In this review, the fundamental principles and challenges of metal-sulfur batteries are first discussed. Second, the latest research on metal-sulfur batteries is presented and discussed, covering their material design, synthesis methods, and electrochemical performances. Third, emerging advanced characterization techniques that reveal the working mechanisms of metal-sulfur batteries are highlighted. Finally, the possible future research directions for the practical applications of metal-sulfur batteries are discussed. This comprehensive review aims to provide experimental strategies and theoretical guidance for designing and understanding the intricacies of metal-sulfur batteries; thus, it can illuminate promising pathways for progressing high-energy-density metal-sulfur battery systems.

Interfacial "Double-Terminal Binding Sites" Catalysts Synergistically Boosting the Electrocatalytic Li2S Redox for Durable Lithium-Sulfur Batteries

Catalytic conversion of polysulfides emerges as a promising approach to improve the kinetics and mitigate polysulfide shuttling in lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries, especially under conditions of high sulfur loading and lean electrolyte. Herein, we present a separator architecture that incorporates double-terminal binding (DTB) sites within a nitrogen-doped carbon framework, consisting of polar Co0.85Se and Co clusters (Co/Co0.85Se@NC), to enhance the durability of Li-S batteries. The uniformly dispersed clusters of polar Co0.85Se and Co offer abundant active sites for lithium polysulfides (LiPSs), enabling efficient LiPS conversion while also serving as anchors through a combination of chemical interactions. Density functional theory calculations, along with in situ Raman and X-ray diffraction characterizations, reveal that the DTB effect strengthens the binding energy to polysulfides and lowers the energy barriers of polysulfide redox reactions. Li-S batteries utilizing the Co/Co0.85Se@NC-modified separator demonstrate exceptional cycling stability (0.042% per cycle over 1000 cycles at 2 C) and rate capability (849 mAh g-1 at 3 C), as well as deliver an impressive areal capacity of 10.0 mAh cm-2 even in challenging conditions with a high sulfur loading (10.7 mg cm-2) and lean electrolyte environments (5.8 μL mg-1). The DTB site strategy offers valuable insights into the development of high-performance Li-S batteries.

2D Nano-Channeled Molybdenum Compounds for Accelerating Interfacial Polysulfides Catalysis in Li-S Battery

The shuttle effect, which causes the loss of active sulfur, passivation of lithium anode, and leads to severe capacity attenuation, is currently the main bottleneck for lithium-sulfur batteries. Recent studies have disclosed that molybdenum compounds possess exceptional advantages as a polar substrate to immobilize and catalyze lithium polysulfide such as high conductivity and strong sulfiphilicity. However, these materials show incomplete contact with sulfur/polysulfides, which causes uneven redox conversion of sulfur and results in poor rate performance. Herein, a new type of 2D nano-channeled molybdenum compounds (2D-MoNx) via the 2D organic-polyoxometalate superstructure for accelerating interfacial polysulfide catalysis toward high-performance lithium-sulfur batteries is reported. The 2D-MoNx shows well-interlinked nano-channels, which increase the reactive interface and contact surface with polysulfides. Therefore, the battery equipped with 2D-MoNx displays a high discharge capacity of 912.7 mAh g-1 at 1 C and the highest capacity retention of 523.7 mAh g-1 after 300 cycles. Even at the rate of 2 C, the capacity retention can be maintained at 526.6 mAh g-1 after 300 cycles. This innovative nano-channel and interfacial design of 2D-MoNx provides new nanostructures to optimize the sulfur redox chemistry and eliminate the shuttle effect of polysulfides.

Surface modulation of zinc anodes by foveolate ZnTe nanoarrays for dendrite-free zinc ion batteries

Zinc metal is widely considered as the primary option for constructing various aqueous batteries due to its cost-effectiveness, safety, and environmental friendliness. However, the Zn anode continues to be plagued by parasitic reactions and dendrite growth in aqueous electrolytes, limiting the practical implementation of zinc ion batteries (ZIBs) for large-scale energy storage. Herein, a foveolate ZnTe nanoarray is developed as a protective layer to enhance the chemical reversibility during Zn plating/stripping. The semi-conductive ZnTe with excellent ionic conductivity and hydrophobicity can effectually prevent the corrosion reactions, hydrogen generation and dendritic growth on the surface of the Zn anode. As a result, the Zn@ZnTe symmetrical cells achieve ultrahigh cycling stability (over 2800 h at 2 mA cm-2 and 1 mA h cm-2) and simultaneously deliver a low voltage hysteresis of 28 mV. Additionally, the durable Zn@ZnTe//V2O5 cells exhibit a remarkable capacity retention of 96.7% after 3000 cycles, surpassing that of the Zn//V2O5 cells. This work provides a straightforward and low-cost strategy to regulate the interface chemistry of the Zn anode, which may open a way for the development of practical ZIBs.

A Review on Engineering Transition Metal Compound Catalysts to Accelerate the Redox Kinetics of Sulfur Cathodes for Lithium-Sulfur Batteries

Engineering transition metal compounds (TMCs) catalysts with excellent adsorption-catalytic ability has been one of the most effective strategies to accelerate the redox kinetics of sulfur cathodes. Herein, this review focuses on engineering TMCs catalysts by cation doping/anion doping/dual doping, bimetallic/bi-anionic TMCs, and TMCs-based heterostructure composites. It is obvious that introducing cations/anions to TMCs or constructing heterostructure can boost adsorption-catalytic capacity by regulating the electronic structure including energy band, d/p-band center, electron filling, and valence state. Moreover, the electronic structure of doped/dual-ionic TMCs are adjusted by inducing ions with different electronegativity, electron filling, and ion radius, resulting in electron redistribution, bonds reconstruction, induced vacancies due to the electronic interaction and changed crystal structure such as lattice spacing and lattice distortion. Different from the aforementioned two strategies, heterostructures are constructed by two types of TMCs with different Fermi energy levels, which causes built-in electric field and electrons transfer through the interface, and induces electron redistribution and arranged local atoms to regulate the electronic structure. Additionally, the lacking studies of the three strategies to comprehensively regulate electronic structure for improving catalytic performance are pointed out. It is believed that this review can guide the design of advanced TMCs catalysts for boosting redox of lithium sulfur batteries.

Facile preparation of urchin-like morphology V2O3-VN nano-heterojunction cathodes for high-performance Aqueous zinc ion battery

Rechargeable aqueous zinc ion batteries (RAZIBs) are of interest for energy storage in smart grids. However, slow Zn2+ diffusion kinetics, insufficient active sites, and poor intrinsic conductivity are always challenging to exploit the huge potential of the batteries. Here, we prepare V2O3-VN nano-heterojunction composites with sea urchin-like morphology as the cathode for AZIBs. The electrode achieves high capacities (e.g., 0.1 A g-1, 532.6 mAh g-1), good rate and cycle performance (263.4 mAh g-1 at 5 A g-1 current density with 90.8% capacity retention). Detailed structural analyses suggest that the V2O3-VN composite is composed of different crystal planes of V2O3 and VN, which form an efficient heterogeneous interfacial network in the bulk electrode, accounting for its good electrochemical properties. Theoretical calculations reveal that compared with V2O3, VN and physically mixed V2O3/VN, the V2O3-VN heterostructure exhibits good cation adsorption and electrode conductivity, thereby accelerating the charge carrier mobility and electrochemical activity of the electrode. Moreover, ex-situ characterization techniques are utilized to investigate the zinc storage mechanism in detail, providing new ideas for the development of AZIBs cathode materials through the construction of heterojunction structures.

Surface design for high ion flux separator in lithium-sulfur batteries

Addressing the shuttle effect is a critical challenge in realizing practical applications of lithium-sulfur batteries. One promising avenue refers to the surface modification of separators, transitioning them from closed to open structures. In the current investigation, a high ion flux separator was devised by means of MnO2 self-assembly onto a Porous Polypropylene (PP) separator, subsequently coupling it with biochar. The separator exhibited favorable ion and electronic conductivity. Moreover, it adeptly captured and transformed polysulfides into Li2S2/Li2S, cyclically curbing the mobility of Polysulfide lithium (LiPSs). In addition, this augmentation in the kinetic conversion of LiPSs during the electrochemical process translated into an impressive discharge specific capacity and area capacity of 939 mAh/g and 4 mAh cm-2, respectively. Moreover, this innovative design methodology provides an alternative avenue for future separator designs within lithium-sulfur batteries.

Design Strategies for Aqueous Zinc Metal Batteries with High Zinc Utilization: From Metal Anodes to Anode-Free Structures

Aqueous zinc metal batteries (AZMBs) are promising candidates for next-generation energy storage due to the excellent safety, environmental friendliness, natural abundance, high theoretical specific capacity, and low redox potential of zinc (Zn) metal. However, several issues such as dendrite formation, hydrogen evolution, corrosion, and passivation of Zn metal anodes cause irreversible loss of the active materials. To solve these issues, researchers often use large amounts of excess Zn to ensure a continuous supply of active materials for Zn anodes. This leads to the ultralow utilization of Zn anodes and squanders the high energy density of AZMBs. Herein, the design strategies for AZMBs with high Zn utilization are discussed in depth, from utilizing thinner Zn foils to constructing anode-free structures with theoretical Zn utilization of 100%, which provides comprehensive guidelines for further research. Representative methods for calculating the depth of discharge of Zn anodes with different structures are first summarized. The reasonable modification strategies of Zn foil anodes, current collectors with pre-deposited Zn, and anode-free aqueous Zn metal batteries (AF-AZMBs) to improve Zn utilization are then detailed. In particular, the working mechanism of AF-AZMBs is systematically introduced. Finally, the challenges and perspectives for constructing high-utilization Zn anodes are presented.

Multifunctional Catalytic Hierarchical Interfaces of Ni12 P5 -Ni2 P Porous Nanosheets Enabled Both Sulfides Reaction Promotion and Li-Dendrite Suppression for High-Performance Li-S Full Batteries

The development of lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries is very promising and yet faces the issues of hindered polysulfides conversion and Li dendrite growth. Different from using different materials strategies to overcome these two types of problems, here multifunctional catalytic hierarchical interfaces of Ni12 P5 -Ni2 P porous nanosheets formed by Ni2 P partially in situ converted from Ni12 P5 are proposed. The unique electronic structure in the interface endows Ni12 P5 -Ni2 P effective electrocatalysis effect toward both sulfides' reduction and oxidation through reducing Gibbs free energies, indicating a bidirectional conversion acceleration. Importantly, Ni12 P5 -Ni2 P porous nanosheets with hierarchical interfaces also reduced the Li nucleation energy barrier, and a dendrite-free Li deposition is realized during the overall Li deposition and stripping steps. To this end, Ni12 P5 -Ni2 P decorated carbon nanotube/S cathode showing a high capacity of over 1500 mAh g-1 , and a high rate capability of 8 C. Moreover, the coin full cell delivered a high capacity of 1345 mAh g-1 at 0.2 C and the pouch full cell delivered a high capacity of 1114 mAh g-1 at 0.2 C with high electrochemical stability during 180° bending. This work inspires the exploration of hierarchical structures of 2D materials with catalytically active interfaces to improve the electrochemistry of Li-S full battery.

The Structural and Electronic Engineering of Molybdenum Disulfide Nanosheets as Carbon-Free Sulfur Hosts for Boosting Energy Density and Cycling Life of Lithium-Sulfur Batteries

The compact sulfur cathodes with high sulfur content and high sulfur loading are crucial to promise high energy density of lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries. However, some daunting problems, such as low sulfur utilization efficiency, serious polysulfides shuttling, and poor rate performance, are usually accompanied during practical deployment. The sulfur hosts play key roles. Herein, the carbon-free sulfur host composed of vanadium-doped molybdenum disulfide (VMS) nanosheets is reported. Benefiting from the basal plane activation of molybdenum disulfide and structural advantage of VMS, high stacking density of sulfur cathode is allowed for high areal and volumetric capacities of the electrodes together with the effective suppression of polysulfides shuttling and the expedited redox kinetics of sulfur species during cycling. The resultant electrode with high sulfur content of 89 wt.% and high sulfur loading of 7.2 mg cm-2 achieves high gravimetric capacity of 900.9 mAh g-1 , the areal capacity of 6.48 mAh cm-2 , and volumetric capacity of 940 mAh cm-3 at 0.5 C. The electrochemical performance can rival with the state-of-the-art those in the reported Li-S batteries. This work provides methodology guidance for the development of the cathode materials to achieve high-energy-density and long-life Li-S batteries.

Effect of Heterostructure-Modified Separator in Lithium-Sulfur Batteries

Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries with high energy density and low cost are the most promising competitor in the next generation of new energy reserve devices. However, there are still many problems that hinder its commercialization, mainly including shuttle of soluble polysulfides, slow reaction kinetics, and growth of Li dendrites. In order to solve above issues, various explorations have been carried out for various configurations, such as electrodes, separators, and electrolytes. Among them, the separator in contact with both anode and cathode is in a particularly special position. Reasonable design-modified material of separator can solve above key problems. Heterostructure engineering as a promising modification method can combine characteristics of different materials to generate synergistic effect at heterogeneous interface that is conducive to Li-S electrochemical behavior. This review not only elaborates the role of heterostructure-modified separators in dealing with above problems, but also analyzes the improvement of wettability and thermal stability of separators by modification of heterostructure materials, systematically clarifies its advantages, and summarizes some related progress in recent years. Finally, future development direction of heterostructure-based separator in Li-S batteries is given.

Vanadium as Auxiliary for Fe-V Dual-Atom Electrocatalyst in Lithium-Sulfur Batteries: "3D in 2D" Morphology Inducer and Coordination Structure Regulator

The undesirable shuttling behavior, the sluggish redox kinetics of liquid-solid transformation, and the large energy barrier for decomposition of Li2S have been the recognized problems impeding the practical application of lithium-sulfur batteries. Herein, inspired by the spectacular catalytic activity of the Fe/V center in bioenzyme for nitrogen/sulfur fixation, we design an integrated electrocatalyst comprising N-bridged Fe-V dual-atom active sites (Fe/V-N7) dispersed on ingenious "3D in 2D" carbon nanosheets (denoted as DAC), in which vanadium induces the laminar structure and regulates the coordination configuration of active centers simultaneously, realizing the redistribution of the 3d-orbital electrons of Fe centers. The high coupling/conjunction between Fe/V 3d electrons and S 2p electrons shows strong affinity and enhanced reactivity of DAC-Li2Sn (1 ≤ n ≤ 8) systems. Thus, DAC presents strengthened chemisorption ability toward polysulfides and significantly boosts bidirectional sulfur redox reaction kinetics, which have been evidenced theoretically and experimentally. Besides, the well-designed "3D in 2D" morphology of DAC enables uniform sulfur distribution, facilitated electron transfer, and abundant active sites exposure. Therefore, the assembled Li-S cells present outstanding cycling stability (637.3 mAh g-1 after 1000 cycles at 1 C) and high rate capability (711 mAh g-1 at 4 C) under high sulfur content (70 wt %).

Regulating interfacial reaction through electrolyte chemistry enables gradient interphase for low-temperature zinc metal batteries

In situ formation of a stable interphase layer on zinc surface is an effective solution to suppress dendrite growth. However, the fast transport of bivalent Zn-ions within the solid interlayer remains very challenging. Herein, we engineer the SEI components and enable superior kinetics of Zn metal batteries under harsh conditions through regulating the sequence of interfacial chemical reaction. With the differences in chemical reactivity of trimethyl phosphate co-solvent and trifluoromethanesulfonate anions in the Zn2+-solvation shell, Zn3(PO4)2 and ZnF2 are successively generated on Zn metal surface to form a gradient ZnF2-Zn3(PO4)2 interphase. Mechanistic studies reveal the outer ZnF2 facilitates Zn2+ desolvation and inner Zn3(PO4)2 serves as channels for fast Zn2+ transport, contributing to long-term cycling at subzero temperatures. Impressively, the gradient SEI enables a high lifespan over 7000 hours in Zn symmetric cell and a capacity retention of 86.1% after 12000 cycles in Zn-KVOH full cell at -50 °C.

Recent Progress for Concurrent Realization of Shuttle-Inhibition and Dendrite-Free Lithium-Sulfur Batteries

Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries have become one of the most promising new-generation energy storage systems owing to their ultrahigh energy density (2600 Wh kg-1 ), cost-effectiveness, and environmental friendliness. Nevertheless, their practical applications are seriously impeded by the shuttle effect of soluble lithium polysulfides (LiPSs), and the uncontrolled dendrite growth of metallic Li, which result in rapid capacity fading and battery safety problems. A systematic and comprehensive review of the cooperative combination effect and tackling the fundamental problems in terms of cathode and anode synchronously is still lacking. Herein, for the first time, the strategies for inhibiting shuttle behavior and dendrite-free Li-S batteries simultaneously are summarized and classified into three parts, including "two-in-one" S-cathode and Li-anode host materials toward Li-S full cell, "two birds with one stone" modified functional separators, and tailoring electrolyte for stabilizing sulfur and lithium electrodes. This review also emphasizes the fundamental Li-S chemistry mechanism and catalyst principles for improving electrochemical performance; advanced characterization technologies to monitor real-time LiPS evolution are also discussed in detail. The problems, perspectives, and challenges with respect to inhibiting the shuttle effect and dendrite growth issues as well as the practical application of Li-S batteries are also proposed.

Novel ruthenium-doped vanadium carbide/polymeric nanohybrid sensor for acetaminophen drug detection in human blood

The use of advanced electroactive catalysts enhances the performance of electrochemical biosensors in real-time biomonitoring and has received much attention owing to its excellent physicochemical and electrochemical possessions. In this work, a novel biosensor was developed based on the electrocatalytic activity of functionalized vanadium carbide (VC) material, including VC@ruthenium (Ru), VC@Ru-polyaniline nanoparticles (VC@Ru-PANI-NPs) as non-enzymatic nanocarriers for the fabrication of modified screen-printed electrode (SPE) to detect acetaminophen in human blood. As-prepared materials were characterized using SEM, TEM, XRD, and XPS techniques. Biosensing was carried out using cyclic voltammetry and differential pulse voltammetry techniques and has revealed imperative electrocatalytic activity. A quasi-reversible redox method of the over-potential of acetaminophen increased considerably compared with that at the modified electrode and the bare SPE. The excellent electrocatalytic behaviour of VC@Ru-PANI-NPs/SPE is attributed to its distinctive chemical and physical properties, including rapid electron transfer, striking ᴫ-ᴫ interface, and strong adsorptive capability. This electrochemical biosensor exhibits a detection limit of 0.024 μM, in a linear range of 0.1-382.72 μM with a reproducibility of 2.45 % relative standard deviation, and a good recovery from 96.69 % to 105.59 %, the acquired results ensure a better performance compared with previous reports. The enriched electrocatalytic activity of this developed biosensor is mainly credited to its high surface area, better electrical conductivity, synergistic effect, and abundant electroactive active sites. The real-world utility of the VC@Ru-PANI-NPs/SPE-based sensor was ensured via the investigation of biomonitoring of acetaminophen in human blood samples with satisfactory recoveries.

Metal-Organic Framework Composites and Their Derivatives as Efficient Electrodes for Energy Storage Applications: Recent Progress and Future Perspectives

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have been important electrochemical energy storage (EES) materials because of their rich species, large specific surface area, high porosity and rich active sites. Nevertheless, the poor conductivity, low mechanical and electrochemical stability of pristine MOFs have hindered their further applications. Although single component MOF derivatives have higher conductivity, self-aggregation often occurs during preparation. Composite design can overcome the shortcomings of MOFs and derivatives and create synergistic effects, resulting in improved electrochemical properties for EES. In this review, recent applications of MOF composites and derivatives as electrodes in different types of batteries and supercapacitors are critically discussed. The advantages, challenges, and future perspectives of MOF composites and derivatives have been given. This review may guide the development of high-performance MOF composites and derivatives in the field of EES.

Cobalt-Carbon nanotubes supported on V2O3 nanorods as sulfur hosts for High-performance Lithium-Sulfur batteries

Exploring advanced sulfur cathode materials with high catalytic activity to accelerate the slow redox reactions of lithium polysulfides (LiPSs) is of great significance for lithium-sulfur batteries (LSBs). In this study, a coral-like hybrid composed of cobalt nanoparticle-embedded N-doped carbon nanotubes supported by Vanadium (III) oxide (V₂O₃) nanorods (Co-CNTs/C @V₂O₃) was designed as an efficient sulfur host using a simple annealing process. Characterization combined with electrochemical analysis confirmed that the V₂O₃ nanorods exhibited enhanced LiPSs adsorption capacity, and the in situ grown short-length Co-CNTs improved electron/mass transport and enhanced the catalytic activity for conversion to LiPSs. Owing to these merits, the S@Co-CNTs/C@V₂O₃ cathode exhibits effective capacity and cycle lifetime. Its initial capacity was 864 mAh g^-1 at 1.0C and remained at 594 mAh g^-1 after 800cycles with a decay rate of 0.039%. Furthermore, even at a high sulfur loading (4.5 mg cm^-2), S@Co-CNTs/C@V₂O₃ also shows acceptable initial capacity of 880 mAh g^-1 at 0.5C. This study provides new ideas for preparing long-cycle S-hosting cathodes for LSBs.

Research Advances in Amorphous-Crystalline Heterostructures Toward Efficient Electrochemical Applications

Interface engineering of heterostructures has proven a promising strategy to effectively modulate their physicochemical properties and further improve the electrochemical performance for various applications. In this context related research of the newly proposed amorphous-crystalline heterostructures have lately surged since they combine the superior advantages of amorphous- and crystalline-phase structures, showing unusual atomic arrangements in heterointerfaces. Nonetheless, there has been much less efforts in systematic analysis and summary of the amorphous-crystalline heterostructures to examine their complicated interfacial interactions and elusory active sites. The critical structure-activity correlation and electrocatalytic mechanism remain rather elusive. In this review, the recent advances of amorphous-crystalline heterostructures in electrochemical energy conversion and storage fields are amply discussed and presented, along with remarks on the challenges and perspectives. Initially, the fundamental characteristics of amorphous-crystalline heterostructures are introduced to provide scientific viewpoints for structural understanding. Subsequently, the superiorities and current achievements of amorphous-crystalline heterostructures as highly efficient electrocatalysts/electrodes for hydrogen evolution reaction, oxygen evolution reaction, supercapacitor, lithium-ion battery, and lithium-sulfur battery applications are elaborated. At the end of this review, future outlooks and opportunities on amorphous-crystalline heterostructures are also put forward to promote their further development and application in the field of clean energy.

Dual-Functional Hosts for Polysulfides Conversion and Lithium Plating/Stripping towards Lithium-Sulfur Full Cells

The practical application of lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries is greatly hindered by the shuttle effect of dissolved polysulfides in the sulfur cathode and the severe dendritic growth in the lithium anode. Adopting one type of effective host with dual-functions including both inhibiting polysulfide dissolution and regulating Li plating/stripping, is recently an emerging research highlight in Li-S battery. This review focuses on such dual-functional hosts and systematically summarizes the recent research progress and application scenarios. Firstly, this review briefly describes the stubborn issues in Li-S battery operations and the sophisticated counter measurements over the challenges by dual-functional behaviors. Then, the latest advances on dual-functional hosts for both cathode and anode in Li-S full cells are catalogued as species, including metal chalcogenides, metal carbides, metal nitrides, heterostuctures, and the possible mechanisms during the process. Besides, we also outlined the theoretical calculation tools for the dual-functional host based on the first principles. Finally, several sound perspectives are also rationally proposed for fundamental research and practical development as guidelines.

Interface Engineering Toward Expedited Li2 S Deposition in Lithium-Sulfur Batteries: A Critical Review

Lithium-sulfur batteries (LSBs) with superior energy density are among the most promising candidates of next-generation energy storage techniques. As the key step contributing to 75% of the overall capacity, Li₂ S deposition remains a formidable challenge for LSBs applications because of its sluggish kinetics. The severe kinetic issue originates from the huge interfacial impedances, indicative of the interface-dominated nature of Li₂ S deposition. Accordingly, increasing efforts have been devoted to interface engineering for efficient Li₂ S deposition, which has attained inspiring success to date. However, a systematic overview and in-depth understanding of this critical field are still absent. In this review, the principles of interface-controlled Li₂ S precipitation are presented, clarifying the pivotal roles of electrolyte-substrate and electrolyte-Li₂ S interfaces in regulating Li₂ S depositing behavior. For the optimization of the electrolyte-substrate interface, efforts on the design of substrates including metal compounds, functionalized carbons, and organic compounds are systematically summarized. Regarding the regulation of electrolyte-Li₂ S interface, the progress of applying polysulfides catholytes, redox mediators, and high-donicity/polarity electrolytes is overviewed in detail. Finally, the challenges and possible solutions aiming at optimizing Li₂ S deposition are given for further development of practical LSBs. This review would inspire more insightful works and, more importantly, may enlighten other electrochemical areas concerning heterogeneous deposition processes.

Electrostatic Potential-Induced Co-N4 Active Centers in a 2D Conductive Metal-Organic Framework for High-Performance Lithium-Sulfur Batteries

The use of single-atom catalysts is a promising approach to solve the issues of polysulfide shuttle and sluggish conversion chemistry in lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries. However, a single-atom catalyst usually contains a low content of active centers because more metal ions lead to generation of aggregation or the formation of nonatomic catalysts. Herein, a 2D conductive metal-organic framework [Co₃(HITP)₂] with abundant and periodic Co-N₄ centers was decorated on carbon fiber paper as a functional interlayer for advanced Li-S batteries. The Co₃(HITP)₂-decorated interlayer exhibits a chemical anchoring effect and facilitates conversion kinetics, thus effectively restraining the polysulfide shuttle effect. Density functional theory calculations demonstrate that the Co-N₄ centers in Co₃(HITP)₂ feature more intense electron density and more negative electrostatic potential distribution than those in the carbon matrix as the single-atom catalyst, thereby promoting the electrochemical performance due to the lower reaction Gibbs free energies and decomposition energy barriers. As a result, the optimized batteries deliver a high rate capacity of over 400 mA h g^-1 at 4 C current and a satisfying capacity decay rate of 0.028% per cycle over 1000 cycles at 1 C. The designed Co₃(HITP)₂-decorated interlayer was used to prepare one of the most advanced Li-S batteries with excellent performance (reversible capacity of 762 mA h g^-1 and 79.6% capacity retention over 500 cycles) under high-temperature conditions, implying its great potential for practical applications.

Binder-Free Sodium Zinc Phosphate Protection Layer Enabled Dendrite-Free Zn Metal Anode

Aqueous Zn battery has been a promising alternative battery in large-scale energy storage systems due to its cost-effectiveness, sustainability, and intrinsic safety. However, its cycle life is impeded by the dendrite formation, severe corrosion, and side reactions on the zinc metal anode. Most ex situ coatings on the zinc surface extend the life span of zinc anodes but have drawbacks in Zn²⁺ ion conductivity. Herein, a robust sodium zinc phosphate layer was in situ built on zinc metal foil anode (Zn@NZP) via facile electrodeposition. The Zn²⁺ ion conducting protection layer alleviates corrosion, suppresses zinc dendrites, and lowers the energy barrier of Zn²⁺ plating and stripping. As a result, the Zn@NZP anode renders dendrite-free plating/stripping with a small overpotential of about 44 mV and a 12-fold enhancement long-life span compared to the bare zinc. Furthermore, a full cell using the Zn@NZP anode shows much improved capacity and cycling stability. This work provides a promising anode candidate for dendrite-free aqueous zinc ion batteries.

Selective Nitridation Crafted a High-Density, Carbon-Free Heterostructure Host with Built-In Electric Field for Enhanced Energy Density Li-S Batteries

To achieve both high gravimetric and volumetric energy densities of lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries, it is essential yet challenging to develop low-porosity dense electrodes along with diminishment of the electrolyte and other lightweight inactive components. Herein, a compact TiO2 @VN heterostructure with high true density (5.01 g cm-3 ) is proposed crafted by ingenious selective nitridation, serving as carbon-free dual-capable hosts for both sulfur and lithium. As a heavy S host, the interface-engineered heterostructure integrates adsorptive TiO2 with high conductive VN and concurrently yields a built-in electric field for charge-redistribution at the TiO2 /VN interfaces with enlarged active locations for trapping-migration-conversion of polysulfides. Thus-fabricated TiO2 @VN-S composite harnessing high tap-density favors constructing dense cathodes (≈1.7 g cm-3 ) with low porosity (<30 vol%), exhibiting dual-boosted cathode-level peak volumetric-/gravimetric-energy-densities nearly 1700 Wh L-1 cathode /1000 Wh kg-1 cathode at sulfur loading of 4.2 mg cm-2 and prominent areal capacity (6.7 mAh cm-2 ) at 7.6 mg cm-2 with reduced electrolyte (<10 µL mg-1 sulfur ). Particular lithiophilicity of the TiO2 @VN is demonstrated as Li host to uniformly tune Li nucleation with restrained dendrite growth, consequently bestowing the assembled full-cell with high electrode-level volumetric/gravimetric-energy-density beyond 950 Wh L-1 cathode+anode /560 Wh kg-1 cathode+anode at 3.6 mg cm-2 sulfur loading alongside limited lithium excess (≈50%).

Dynamic Intercalation-Conversion Site Supported Ultrathin 2D Mesoporous SnO2/SnSe2 Hybrid as Bifunctional Polysulfide Immobilizer and Lithium Regulator for Lithium-Sulfur Chemistry

The practical application of lithium-sulfur batteries is impeded by the polysulfide shuttling and interfacial instability of the metallic lithium anode. In this work, a twinborn ultrathin two-dimensional graphene-based mesoporous SnO₂/SnSe₂ hybrid (denoted as G-mSnO₂/SnSe₂) is constructed as a polysulfide immobilizer and lithium regulator for Li-S chemistry. The as-designed G-mSnO₂/SnSe₂ hybrid possesses high conductivity, strong chemical affinity (SnO₂), and a dynamic intercalation-conversion site (Li_xSnSe₂), inhibits shuttle behavior, provides rapid Li-intercalative transport kinetics, accelerates LiPS conversion, and decreases the decomposition energy barrier for Li₂S, which is evidenced by the ex situ XAS spectra, in situ Raman, in situ XRD, and DFT calculations. Moreover, the mesoporous G-mSnO₂/SnSe₂ with lithiophilic characteristics enables homogeneous Li-ion deposition and inhibits Li dendrite growth. Therefore, Li-S batteries with a G-mSnO₂/SnSe₂ separator achieve a favorable electrochemical performance, including high sulfur utilization (1544 mAh g^-1 at 0.2 C), high-rate capability (794 mAh g^-1 at 8 C), and long cycle life (extremely low attenuation rate of 0.0144% each cycle at 5 C over 2000 cycles). Encouragingly, a 1.6 g S/Ah-level pouch cell realizes a high energy density of up to 359 Wh kg^-1 under a lean E/S usage of 3.0 μL mg^-1. This work sheds light on the design roadmap for tackling S-cathode and Li-anode challenges simultaneously toward long-durability Li-S chemistry.

Active Sulfur-Host Material VS4 with Surface Defect Engineering: Intercalation-Conversion Hybrid Cathode Boosting Electrochemical Performance of Li-S Batteries

Transition-metal sulfides as late-model electrocatalysts usually remain inactive in lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries in spite of their advantages to accelerate the rapid conversion of lithium polysulfides (LiPSs). Herein, a series of cobalt-doped vanadium tetrasulfide/reduced graphene oxide (x%Co-VS₄/rGO) composites with an ultrathin layered structure as an active sulfur-host material are prepared by a one-pot hydrothermal method. The well-designed two-dimensional ultrathin 3%Co-VS₄/rGO with heteroatom architecture defects (defect of Co-doping and defect of S-vacancies) can significantly improve the adsorption ability on LiPSs, the electrocatalytic activity in the Li₂S potentiostatic deposition, and the active sulfur reduction/oxidation conversion reactions and greatly boost the electrochemical performances of Li-S batteries. On the one hand, the ultrathin 3%Co-VS₄/rGO possesses good conductivity inheriting from rGO which contributes to the capacity of internal redox reactions on lithiation from VS₄. On the other hand, the hybrid architectures provide strong adsorption and excellent electrocatalytic ability on LiPSs, which benefit from the surface defects caused by heteroatom doping. The S@3%Co-VS₄/rGO cathode displays a high specific capacity of 1332.6 mA h g^-1 at 0.2 C and a low-capacity decay of only 0.05% per cycle over 1000 cycles at 3 C with a primary capacity of 633.1 mA h g^-1. Furthermore, when the sulfur loading (single-side coating) reaches 4.48 mg cm^-2, it still can deliver 756.2 mA h g^-1 after the 100th cycle at 0.2 C with 89.5% capacity retention. In addition, the in situ X-ray diffraction test reveals that the sulfur conversion mechanism is the processes of α-S₈ → Li₂S → β-S₈ (first cycle) and then β-S₈ ↔ Li₂S during the subsequent cycles. The designing strategy with heteroatom doping and self-intercalation capacity adopted in this work would provide novel inspiration for fabricating advanced sulfur-host materials to achieve excellent electrochemical capability in Li-S batteries.

Confining ZnS/SnS2 Ultrathin Heterostructured Nanosheets in Hollow N-Doped Carbon Nanocubes as Novel Sulfur Host for Advanced Li-S Batteries

Hollow nanostructured hosts are important scaffolds to achieve high sulfur loading, fast charge transfer, and conspicuous restraint of lithium polysulfides (LiPSs) shuttling in lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries. However, developing high-efficiency hollow hosts for improving utilization and conversion of aggregated sulfur in the hollow chamber remains a longstanding challenge. Herein, hollow N-doped carbon nanocubes confined petal-like ZnS/SnS₂ heterostructures (ZnS/SnS₂ @NC) as a conceptually novel host for Li-S batteries are reported. Specifically, compared to consubstantial hollow double-shelled hosts, the ZnS/SnS₂ @NC with higher effective active surface area brings dense contact with sulfur and enhances efficient adsorption sites for binding LiPSs and accelerating their conversion. Benefiting from the unique structure and sophisticated composition, the resulting S@ZnS/SnS₂ @NC cathodes exhibit 1294 mAh g^-1 at 0.2 C, an ultralow capacity decay of 0.016% per cycle over 500 cycles at 1.0 C, and a high area capacity of 4.77 mAh cm^-2 at 0.5 C (5.9 mg cm^-2 ). Meanwhile, the performance evolution of S@ZnS/SnS₂ @NC cathodes under various sulfur loadings is further investigated by using EIS, which provides the beneficial guidance to explore viable strategies further optimizing their performance. This work sheds new insights into the design of hollow nanostructured hosts with a distinguished ability to regulate LiPSs in Li-S batteries.

A conductive framework embedded with cobalt-doped vanadium nitride as an efficient polysulfide adsorber and convertor for advanced lithium-sulfur batteries

The industrialization and commercialization of Li-S batteries are greatly hindered by several defects such as the sluggish reaction kinetics, polysulfide shuttling and large volume expansion. Herein, we propose a heteroatom doping method to optimize the electronic structure for enhancing the adsorption and catalytic activity of VN that is in situ embedded into a spongy N-doped conductive framework, thus obtaining a Co-VN/NC multifunctional catalyst as an ideal sulfur host. The synthesized composite has both the unique structural advantages and the synergistic effect of cobalt, VN, and nitrogen-doped carbon (NC), which not only improve the polysulfide anchoring of the sulfur cathode but also boost the kinetics of polysulfide conversion. The density functional theory (DFT) calculations revealed that Co doping could enrich the d orbit electrons of VN for elevating the d band center, which improves its interaction with lithium polysulfides (LiPSs) and accelerates the interfacial electron transfer, simultaneously. As a result, the batteries present a high initial discharge capacity of 1521 mA h g^-1 at 0.1 C, good rate performance, and excellent cycling performances (∼876 mA h g^-1 at 0.5 C after 300 cycles and ∼490 mA h g^-1 at 2 C after 1000 cycles, respectively), even with a high areal sulfur loading of 4.83 mg cm^-2 (∼4.70 mA h cm^-2 at 0.2 C after 100 cycles). This well-designed work provides a good strategy to develop effective polysulfide catalysis and further obtain high-performance host materials for Li-S batteries.

Manipulating the Li-S reaction kinetics via the V8C7/phosphorus defect-integrated carbon promoter

V₈C₇/phosphorus defect-integrated carbon (VPC) is proposed as a dual-function promoter for Li-S chemistry. The well-dispersed V₈C₇ and phosphorus defects exhibit ample polar sites and remarkable electron conductivity. Such rational integration of dual active centers simultaneously suppresses the shuttle effect and propels the Li-S redox reaction kinetics. Therefore, the S/VPC cathode shows an initial capacity of 1090.0 mA h g^-1 and a high retention of 83.5% at 0.2C after 100 cycles and a low decay rate of 0.076% at 2C over 600 cycles.

Revealing the synergistic mechanism of multiply nanostructured V2O3 hollow nanospheres integrated with doped N, Ni heteroatoms, in-situ grown carbon nanotubes and coated carbon nanolayers for the enhancement of lithium-sulfur batteries

Lithium sulfur (Li-S) batteries are regarded as one of the most promising future energy storage candidates on account of high theoretical specific capacity of 1675 mAh g^-1 and energy density of 2600 Wh kg^-1. However, their practical application is seriously hindered due to the poor conductivity and volume expansion of sulfur, the weak redox kinetics of lithium polysulfide (LPS), and the severe shuttle effect of LPS. Herein, V₂O₃@N,Ni-C nanostructures, multiply integrated with zero-dimensional (0D) V₂O₃ nanoparticles, 1D carbon nanotubes, 2D carbon coating layers and graphene, 3D hollow spheres, and doped N and Ni heteroatoms, were synthesized via a solvothermal method followed by chemical vapor deposition. After being used as a modifier for traditional commercial separator of Li-S batteries, the shuttle effect of LPS can be effectively suppressed owing to the abundant active physical and chemical adsorption sites derived from large specific surface area, rich porosity, and tremendous polarity of the V₂O₃ nanoparticles with multiple secondary nanostructure integration. Meanwhile, the transfer of Li⁺ ions and electrons can be effectively enhanced by the highly conductive 2D carbon network, and the kinetics of redox reaction (Li₂S_n ↔ Li₂S) can be accelerated by the doped N and Ni heteroatoms, leading to a synergistic promotion on the reutilization of the adsorbed LPS. Additionally, the unique 3D hollow structure can not only enhance the penetration of electrolyte, but also buffer the volume expansion of sulfur to some extent. Therefore, the rate capacity and cycling performance can be significantly enhanced by the multifunction synergism of adsorption, conductivity, catalysis, and volume buffering. An initial discharge capacity of 1590.4 mAh g^-1can be achieved at 0.1C, and the discharge capacity of 803.5 mAh g^-1can be still exhibited when increasing to 2C. After a long period of 500 cycles, additionally, the discharge specific capacity of 1142.2 mAh g^-1 and capacity attenuation of 0.0617% per cycle can be obtained at 1C.