Attenuating the Polysulfide Shuttle Mechanism by Separator Coating

Lithium-sulfur batteries have a high energy density but lack cycle stability to reach market maturity. This is mainly due to the polysulfide shuttle mechanism, i. e., the leaching of active material from the cathode into the electrolyte and subsequent side reactions. We demonstrate how to attenuate the polysulfide shuttle by magnetron sputtering molybdenum oxysulfide, manganese oxide, and chromium oxide onto microporous polypropylene separators. The morphology of the amorphous coatings was analyzed by SEM and XRD. Electrochemical cyclization quantified how these coatings improved Coulombic efficiency and cycle stability. These tests were conducted in half cells. We compare the different performances of the different coatings with the known chemical and adsorption properties of the respective coating materials.

Separator Design Strategies to Advance Rechargeable Aqueous Zinc Ion Batteries

With the increasing demand for low-cost and high-safety portable batteries, aqueous zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) have been regarded as a potential alternative to the lithium-ion batteries, bringing about extensive research dedicated in the exploration of high-performance and highly reversible ZIBs. Although separators are generally considered as non-active components in conventional research on ZIBs, advanced separators designs seem to offer effective solutions to the majority of issues within ZIBs system. These issues encompass concerns related to the zinc anode, cathode, and electrolyte. Initially, we delve into the origins and implications of various inherent problems within the ZIBs system. Subsequently, we present the latest research advancements in addressing these challenges through separators engineering. This includes a comprehensive, detailed exploration of various strategies, coupled with instances of advanced characterizations to provide a more profound insight into the mechanisms that influence the separators. Finally, we undertake a multi-criteria evaluation, based on application standards for diverse substrate separators, while proposing guiding principles for the optimal design of separators in zinc batteries. This review aims to furnish valuable guidance for the future development of advanced separators, thereby nurturing progress in the field of ZIBs.

Uniform Li Deposition through the Graphene-Based Ion-Flux Regulator for High-Rate Li Metal Batteries

Lithium (Li) metal is considered an ultimate anode owing to its high specific capacity and energy density. However, uncontrolled Li dendrite growth and low Coulombic efficiency have limited the application of Li metal. Among various strategies introduced to address these limitations, the surface modification of polyolefin separators with functional materials has been widely adopted for improving the mechanical and thermal stabilities of polymer separators and to protect the separator from the penetration of Li dendrites. Herein, we report a new functional polymer separator that is surface-altered with a graphene-based Li-ion flux regulator (GLR) to homogenize the Li-ion flux and suppress the growth of sharp dendritic Li in Li metal batteries. The nanopores distributed through the GLR structure serve as channels for ion transport and junctions for electron transfer, facilitating efficient electrolyte penetration and rapid charge transfer between graphene (Gr) sheets. Owing to these favorable features of porous GLR, a Li-Cu cell with the GLR surface-altered polypropylene separator (GLR-PP) delivers excellent cycle and rate performances compared to a Li-Cu cell with a Gr surface-altered polypropylene separator. In addition, among the tested cells, Li-sulfur cells with GLR-PP exhibit the most stable cycle performance over 500 cycles. These results demonstrate that the concept of tailoring the surface of a polymer separator with porous 2D materials is an effective strategy for improving the long-term cycle stability and electrochemical kinetics of Li metal-based batteries and would trigger further relevant studies.

Nonmetallic-Bonding Fe-Mn Diatomic Pairs Anchored on Hollow Carbonaceous Nanodisks for High-Performance Li-S Battery

The issues of polysulfide shuttling and lethargic sulfur redox reaction (SROR) kinetics are the toughest obstacles of lithium-sulfur (Li-S) battery. Herein, integrating the merits of increased density of metal sites and synergistic catalytic effect, a unique single-atom catalyst (SAC) with nonmetallic-bonding Fe-Mn diatomic pairs anchored on hollow nitrogen-doped carbonaceous nanodisk (denoted as FeMnDA@NC) is successfully constructed and well characterized by aberration-corrected high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy, X-ray absorption spectroscopy, etc. Density functional theory calculation indicates that the Fe-Mn diatomic pairs can effectively inhibit the shuttle effect by enhancing the adsorption ability retarding the polysulfide migration and accelerate the SROR kinetics. As a result, the Li-S battery assembled with FeMnDA@NC modified separator possesses an excellent electrochemical performance with ultrahigh specific capacities of 1419 mAh g-1 at 0.1 C and 885 mAh g-1 at 3.0 C, respectively. An outstanding specific capacity of 1165 mAh g-1 is achieved at 1.0 C and maintains at 731 mAh g-1 after 700 cycles. Notably, the assembled Li-S battery with a high sulfur loading of 5.35 mg cm-2 harvests a practical areal capacity of 5.70 mAh cm-2 at 0.2 C. A new perspective is offered here to construct advanced SACs suitable for the Li-S battery.

Mediating Triple Ions Migration Behavior via a Fluorinated Separator Interface toward Highly Reversible Aqueous Zn Batteries

Rampant dendrite growth, electrode passivation and severe corrosion originate from the uncontrolled ions migration behavior of Zn2+ , SO4 2- , and H+ , which are largely compromising the aqueous zinc ion batteries (AZIBs) performance. Exploring the ultimate strategy to eliminate all the Zn anode issues is challenging but urgent at present. Herein, a fluorinated separator interface (PVDF@GF) is constructed simply by grafting the polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) on the GF surface to realize high-performance AZIBs. Experimental and theoretical studies reveal that the strong interaction between C─F bonds in the PVDF and Zn2+ ions enables evenly redistributed Zn2+ ions concentration at the electrode interface and accelerates the Zn transportation kinetics, leading to homogeneous and fast Zn deposition. Furthermore, the electronegative separator interface can spontaneously repel the SO4 2- and anchor H+ ions to alleviate the passivation and corrosion. Accordingly, the Zn|Zn symmetric cell with PVDF@GF harvests a superior cycling stability of 500 h at 10 mAh cm-2 , and the Zn|VOX full cell delivers 76.8% capacity retention after 1000 cycles at 2 A g-1 . This work offers an all-round solution and provides new insights for the design of advanced separators with ionic sieve function toward stable and reversible Zn metal anode chemistry.

Co/Mon Invigorated Bilateral Kinetics Modulation for Advanced Lithium-Sulfur Batteries

Sluggish sulfur redox kinetics and Li-dendrite growth are the main bottlenecks for lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries. Separator modification serves as a dual-purpose approach to address both of these challenges. In this study, the Co/MoN composite is rationally designed and applied as the modifier to modulate the electrochemical kinetics on both sides of the sulfur cathode and lithium anode. Benefiting from its adsorption-catalysis function, the decorated separators (Co/MoN@PP) not only effectively inhibit polysulfides (LiPSs) shuttle and accelerate their electrochemical conversion but also boost Li+ flux, realizing uniform Li plating/stripping. The accelerated LiPSs conversion kinetics and excellent sulfur redox reversibility triggered by Co/MoN modified separators are evidenced by performance, in-situ Raman detection and theoretical calculations. The batteries with Co/MoN@PP achieve a high initial discharge capacity of 1570 mAh g-1 at 0.2 C with a low decay rate of 0.39%, uniform Li+ transportation at 1 mA cm-2 over 800 h. Moreover, the areal capacity of 4.62 mAh cm-2 is achieved under high mass loadings of 4.92 mg cm-2 . This study provides a feasible strategy for the rational utilization of the synergistic effect of composite with multifunctional microdomains to solve the problems of Li anode and S cathode toward long-cycling Li-S batteries.

Hollow Structure Co1-xS/3D-Ti3C2Tx MXene Composite for Separator Modification of Lithium-Sulfur Batteries

The commercial application of lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries has faced obstacles, including challenges related to low sulfur utilization, structural degradation resulting from electrode volume expansion, and migration of polysulfide lithium (LiPSs). Herein, Co1-xS/3D-Ti3C2Tx composites with three-dimensional (3D) multilayered structures are used as separator modification materials for Li-S batteries to solve these problems. The multilevel layered structure of Co1-xS/3D-Ti3C2Tx establishes an efficient electron and Li+ transfer path, alleviates the volume change during the battery charge-discharge process, and enhances the stability of the structure. In addition, the battery assembled with the modified separator shows excellent discharge capacity and cycle stability at 0.5 C and could maintain a high discharge capacity after 500 cycles. This work provides a method for designing highly dispersed metal sulfide nanoparticles on MXenes and extends the application of MXenes-based composites in electrochemical energy storage.

Boosting Polysulfide Redox Kinetics by Temperature-Induced Metal-Insulator Transition Effect of Tungsten-Doped Vanadium Dioxide for High-Temperature Lithium-Sulfur Batteries

The practical application of Li-S batteries is still severely restricted by poor cyclic performance caused by the intrinsic polysulfides shuttle effect, which is even more severe under the high-temperature condition owing to the inevitable increase of polysulfides' solubility and diffusion rate. Herein, tungsten-doped vanadium dioxide (W-VO2 ) micro-flowers are employed with first-order metal-insulator phase transition (MIT) property as a robust and multifunctional modification layer to hamper the shuttle effect and simultaneously improve the thermotolerance of the common separator. Tungsten doping significantly reduces the transition temperature from 68 to 35 °C of vanadium dioxide, which renders the W-VO2 easier to turn from the insulating monoclinic phase into the metallic rutile phase. The systematic experiments and theoretical analysis demonstrate that the temperature-induced in-suit MIT property endows the W-VO2 catalyst with strong chemisorption against polysulfides, low energy barrier for liquid-to-solid conversion, and outstanding diffusion kinetics of Li-ion under high temperatures. Benefiting from these advantages, the Li-S batteries with W-VO2 modified separator exhibit significantly improved rate and long-term cyclic performance under 50 °C. Remarkably, even at an elevated temperature (80 °C), they still exhibit superior electrochemical performance. This work opens a rewarding avenue to use phase-changing materials for high-temperature Li-S batteries.

Binary Transition-Metal Sulfides/MXene Synergistically Promote Polysulfide Adsorption and Conversion in Lithium-Sulfur Batteries

Currently, severe shuttle effects and sluggish conversion kinetics are the main obstacles to the advancement of lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries. Modification of the battery separator by a catalyst is a promising approach to tackle these problems, but simultaneously obtaining rich catalytic active sites, high conductivity, and remarkable stability remains a great challenge. Herein, a flower-like MXene/MoS2/SnS@C heterostructure as the functional intercalation of Li-S batteries was prepared for accelerating the synergistic adsorption-electrocatalysis of sulfur conversion. The MXene skeleton constructs a three-dimensional conductive network that anchors polysulfides and enhances charge transfer. Meanwhile, the MoS2/SnS has rich active sites for accelerating polysulfide conversion, leading to excellent electrochemical performances. A battery with MXene/MoS2/SnS@C displays an extraordinary capacity of 836.1 mAh g-1 over 200 cycles at 0.5C and demonstrates a remarkable cycling stability with a capacity attenuation of approximately 0.051% per cycle during 1000 cycles at 2C. When the sulfur loading reaches 5.1 mg cm-2, the capacity still maintains 722.4 mAh g-1 over 50 cycles. This research proposes a novel strategy to design stable catalysts for Li-S batteries with an extended lifespan.

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.

Breaking the Barrier: Strategies for Mitigating Shuttle Effect in Lithium-Sulfur Batteries Using Advanced Separators

Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries are considered one of the most promising energy storage systems due to their high theoretical capacity, high theoretical capacity density, and low cost. However, challenges such as poor conductivity of sulfur (S) elements in active materials, the "shuttle effect" caused by lithium polysulfide, and the growth of lithium dendrites impede the commercial development of Li-S batteries. As a crucial component of the battery, the separator plays a vital role in mitigating the shuttle effect caused by polysulfide. Traditional polypropylene, polyethylene, and polyimide separators are constrained by their inherent limitations, rendering them unsuitable for direct application in lithium-sulfur batteries. Therefore, there is an urgent need for the development of novel separators. This review summarizes the applications of different separator preparation methods and separator modification methods in lithium-sulfur batteries and analyzes their electrochemical performance.

Modulating d-Band Electronic Structures of Molybdenum Disulfide via p/n Doping to Boost Polysulfide Conversion in Lithium-Sulfur Batteries

Polysulfide shuttle effect and sluggish sulfur reaction kinetics severely impede the cycling stability and sulfur utilization of lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries. Modulating d-band electronic structures of molybdenum disulfide electrocatalysts via p/n doping is promising to boost polysulfide conversion and suppress polysulfide migration in lithium-sulfur batteries. Herein, p-type V-doped MoS2 (V-MoS2 ) and n-type Mn-doped MoS2 (Mn-MoS2 ) catalysts are well-designed. Experimental results and theoretical analyses reveal that both of them significantly increase the binding energy of polysulfides on the catalysts' surface and accelerate the sluggish conversion kinetics of sulfur species. Particularly, the p-type V-MoS2 catalyst exhibits a more obvious bidirectional catalytic effect. Electronic structure analysis further demonstrates that the superior anchoring and electrocatalytic activities are originated from the upward shift of the d-band center and the optimized electronic structure induced by duplex metal coupling. As a result, the Li-S batteries with V-MoS2 modified separator exhibit a high initial capacity of 1607.2 mAh g-1 at 0.2 C and excellent rate and cycling performance. Moreover, even at a high sulfur loading of 6.84 mg cm-2 , a favorable initial areal capacity of 8.98 mAh cm-2 is achieved at 0.1 C. This work may bring widespread attention to atomic engineering in catalyst design for high-performance Li-S batteries.

A Transmetalation Synthetic Strategy to Engineer Atomically Dispersed MnN2 O2 Electrocatalytic Centers Driving High-Performance LiS Battery

Sluggish sulfur redox reaction (SROR) kinetics accompanying lithium polysulfides (LiPSs) shuttle effect becomes a stumbling block for commercial application of LiS battery. High-efficient single atom catalysts (SACs) are desired to improve the SROR conversion capability; however, the sparse active sites as well as partial sites encapsulated in bulk-phase are fatal to the catalytic performance. Herein, high loading (5.02 wt.%) atomically dispersed manganese sites (MnSA) on hollow nitrogen-doped carbonaceous support (HNC) are realized for the MnSA@HNC SAC by a facile transmetalation synthetic strategy. The thin-walled hollow structure (≈12 nm) anchoring the unique trans-MnN2 O2 sites of MnSA@HNC provides a shuttle buffer zone and catalytic conversion site for LiPSs. Both electrochemical measurement and theoretical calculation indicate that the MnSA@HNC with abundant trans-MnN2 O2 sites have extremely high bidirectional SROR catalytic activity. The assembled LiS battery based on the MnSA@HNC modified separator can deliver a large specific capacity of 1422 mAh g-1 at 0.1 C and stable cycling over 1400 cycles with an ultralow decay rate of 0.033% per cycle at 1 C. More impressively, a flexible pouch cell on account of the MnSA@HNC modified separator may release a high initial specific capacity of 1192 mAh g-1 at 0.1 C and uninterruptedly work after the bending-unbending processes.

A crystalline carbon nitride-based separator for high-performance lithium metal batteries

Lithium metal anodes with ultrahigh theoretical capacities are very attractive for assembling high-performance batteries. However, uncontrolled Li dendrite growth strongly retards their practical applications. Different from conventional separator modification strategies that are always focused on functional group tuning or mechanical barrier construction, herein, we propose a crystallinity engineering-related tactic by using the highly crystalline carbon nitride as the separator interlayer to suppress dendrite growth. Interestingly, the presence of Cl- intercalation and high-content pyrrolic-N from molten salt treatment along with highly crystalline structure enhanced the interactions of carbon nitride with Li+ and homogenized lithium flux for uniform deposition, as supported by both experimental and theoretical evidences. The Li-Li cell with the modified separator therefore delivered ultrahigh stability even after 3,000 h with dendrite-free cycled electrodes. Meanwhile, the assembled Li-LiFePO4 full-cell also presented high-capacity retention. This work opens up opportunities for design of functional separators through crystallinity engineering and broadens the use of C3N4 for advanced batteries.

In Situ Trapping Strategy Enables a High-Loading Ni Single-Atom Catalyst as a Separator Modifier for a High-Performance Li-S Battery

The poor electrochemical reaction kinetics of Li polysulfides is a key barrier that prevents the Li-S batteries from widespread applications. Ni single atoms dispersed on carbon matrixes derived from ZIF-8 are a promising type of catalyst for accelerating the conversion of active sulfur species. However, Ni favors a square-planar coordination that can only be doped on the external surface of ZIF-8, leading to a low loading amount of Ni single atoms after pyrolysis. Herein, we demonstrate an in situ trapping strategy to synthesize Ni and melamine-codoped ZIF-8 precursor (Ni-ZIF-8-MA) by simultaneously introducing melamine and Ni during the synthesis of ZIF-8, which can remarkably decrease the particle size of ZIF-8 and further anchor Ni via Ni-N₆ coordination. Consequently, a novel high-loading Ni single-atom (3.3 wt %) catalyst implanted in an N-doped nanocarbon matrix (Ni@NNC) is obtained after high-temperature pyrolysis. This catalyst as a separator modifier shows a superior catalytic effect on the electrochemical transitions of Li polysulfides, which endows the corresponding Li-S batteries with a high specific capacity of 1232.4 mA h g^-1 at 0.3 C and an excellent rate capability of 814.9 mA h g^-1 at 3 C. Furthermore, a superior areal capacity of 4.6 mA h cm^-2 with stable cycling over 160 cycles can be achieved under a critical condition with a low electrolyte/sulfur ratio (8.4 μL mg^-1) and high sulfur loading (4.85 mg cm^-2). The outstanding electrochemical performances can be attributed to the strong adsorption and fast conversion of Li polysulfides on the highly dense active sites of Ni@NNC. This intriguing work provides new inspirations for designing high-loading single-atom catalysts applied in Li-S batteries.

Mo2C-Loaded Porous Carbon Nanosheets as a Multifunctional Separator Coating for High-Performance Lithium-Sulfur Batteries

Lithium-sulfur batteries have emerged as one of the promising next-generation energy storage devices. However, the dissolution and shuttling of polysulfides in the electrolyte leads to a rapid decrease in capacity, severe self-discharge, and poor high-temperature performance. Here, we demonstrate the design and preparation of a Mo₂C nanoparticle-embedded carbon nanosheet matrix material (Mo₂C/C) and its application in lithium-sulfur battery separator modification. As a polar catalyst, Mo₂C/C can effectively adsorb and promote the reversible conversion of lithium polysulfides, suppress the shuttle effect, and improve the electrochemical performance of the battery. The lithium-sulfur battery with the Mo₂C/C =-modified separator showed a good rate of performance with high specific capacities of 1470 and 799 mAh g^-1 at 0.1 and 2 C, respectively. In addition, the long-cycle performance of only 0.09% decay per cycle for 400 cycles and the stable cycling under high sulfur loading indicate that the Mo₂C/C-modified separator holds great promise for the development of high-energy-density lithium-sulfur batteries.

Fluorinated Covalent Organic Framework-Based Nanofluidic Interface for Robust Lithium-Sulfur Batteries

To realize the practical application of lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries, there is a need to inhibit uncontrolled Li deposition by facilitating Li-ion migration, and suppress the irreversible consumption of cathodes by preventing polysulfide shuttling. However, a permselective artifical membrane or interlayer which features fast ion transport but low polysulfide crossover is elusive. Here, we report the design and synthesis of a fluorinated covalent organic framework (4F-COF)-based membrane with a high permselectivity and increased battery lifespan. Combining density functional theory calculation, molecular dynamic simulation, and in situ Raman analysis, we demonstrate that fluorinated COF eliminates polysulfides shutting and dendritic lithium formation. Consequently, Li symmetrical cells demonstrate Li plating/stripping behaviors for 2000 h under 1 mA cm^-2. More importantly, Li-S batteries based on the 4F-COF/PP separator achieve cycling retention of 82.3% over 1000 cycles at 2 C, rate performance of 568.0 mA h g^-1 at 10 C, and an areal capacity of 7.60 mA h cm^-2 with a high sulfur loading (∼9 mg cm^-2). This work demonstrates that functionalizing nanochannels in COFs can impart permselectivity for energy storage applications.

Multiple Effects of High Surface Area Hollow Nanospheres Assembled by Nickel Cobaltate Nanosheets on Soluble Lithium Polysulfides

Inhibiting the shuttle effect of soluble polysulfides and improving slow reaction kinetics are key factors for the future development of Li-S batteries. Herein, edelweiss shaped NiCo₂O₄ hollow nanospheres with a high surface area were prepared by a simple template method to modify the separator to realize multiple physical constraints and strong chemical anchoring on the polysulfides. On one hand, the good electrolyte wettability of NiCo₂O₄ promoted the migration of Li-ions and greatly improved the dynamics. On the other hand, mesoporous NiCo₂O₄ nanomaterials provided many strong chemical binding sites for loading sulfur species. The hollow structure also provided a physical barrier to mitigate the sulfur species diffusion. Therefore, the modified separator realized multiple physical constraints and strong chemical anchoring on sulfur species. As a result, the sulfur cathode based on this composite separator showed significantly enhanced electrochemical performance. Even at 4 C, a high capacity of 505 mAh g^-1 was obtained, and about 80.6% could be retained after 300 cycles.

Size Effect of a Piezoelectric Material as a Separator Coating Layer for Suppressing Dendritic Li Growth in Li Metal Batteries

Li metal has been intensively investigated as a next-generation rechargeable battery anode. However, its practical application as the anode material is hindered by the deposition of dendritic Li. To suppress dendritic Li growth, introducing a modified separator is considered an effective strategy since it promotes a uniform Li ion flux and strengthens thermal and mechanical stability. Herein, we present a strategy for the surface modification of separator, which involves coating the separator with a piezoelectric material (PM). The PM-coated separator shows higher thermal resistance than the pristine separator, and its modified surface properties enable the homogeneous regulation of the Li-ion flux when the separator is punctured by Li dendrite. Furthermore, PM was synthesized in different solvents via solvothermal method to explore the size effect. This strategy would be helpful to overcome the intrinsic Li metal anode problems.

Mo-O-C Between MoS2 and Graphene Toward Accelerated Polysulfide Catalytic Conversion for Advanced Lithium-Sulfur Batteries

MoS₂ /C composites constructed with van der Waals forces have been extensively applied in lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries. However, the catalytic conversion effect on polysulfides is limited because the weak electronic interactions between the composite interfaces cannot fundamentally improve the intrinsic electronic conductivity of MoS₂ . Herein, density functional theory calculations reveal that the MoS₂ and nitrogen-doped carbon composite with an Mo-O-C bond can promote the catalytic conversion of polysulfides with a Gibbs free energy of only 0.19 eV and a low dissociation energy barrier of 0.48 eV, owing to the strong covalent coupling effect on the heterogeneous interface. Guided by theoretical calculations, a robust MoS₂ strongly coupled with a 3D carbon matrix composed of nitrogen-doped reduced graphene oxide and carbonized melamine foam is designed and constructed as a multifunctional coating layer for lithium-sulfur batteries. As a result, excellent electrochemical performance is achieved for Li-S batteries, with a capacity of 615 mAh g^-1 at 5 C, an areal capacity of 6.11 mAh cm^-2 , and a low self-discharge of only 8.6% by resting for five days at 0.5 C. This study opens a new avenue for designing 2D material composites toward promoted catalytic conversion of polysulfides.

Dual-Atom Nickel Moieties of Ni(II)2 N4 (µ2 -N)2 Anchored on Alfalfa-Derived Developed Porous N-Doped Carbon for High-Performance Li-S Battery

A universal strategy is established for preparing the carbonaceous matrix-based atomically distributed metal catalysts M-BPC (M=Ni, Co, Fe, Cu, and Mn, and biomass-derived porous carbon (BPC)) by one-step pyrolysis of mixed metal salts and biomass alfalfa. The optimized Ni-BPC has dual-atom Ni(II)₂ N₄ (µ₂ -N)₂ moieties, which are chemically anchored on the alfalfa-derived developed porous N-doped carbon BPC matrix. An ultrahigh specific surface area of 3133 m² g^-1 with huge total pore volume of 3.02 cm³ g^-1 is obtained for Ni-BPC. The Ni-BPC could greatly promote the redox kinetics and effectively prevent the shuttle effect of lithium polysulfides in a Li-S battery. The Li-S battery assembled with the Ni-BPC modified separator exhibits prominent rate performance with the reversible specific capacities of 1279, 1119, 1037, 948 and 787 mAh g^-1 at the current densities of 0.1, 0.2, 0.5, 1 and 2 C, respectively. The battery presents an ultra-long life with low capacity decay of 0.028% per cycle up to 2100 cycles at 1 C. Even under high areal S loadings of 3.9 mg cm^-2 , the high discharge capacity of 976.6 mAh g^-1 is obtained at 0.2 C and excellent cycling stability with 61.1% capacity retention is achieved after 490 cycles.

NiFe2O4/Ketjen Black Composites as Efficient Membrane Separators to Suppress the Shuttle Effect for Long-Life Lithium-Sulfur Batteries

Lithium-sulfur batteries exhibit great potential as one of the most promising energy storage devices due to their high theoretical energy density and specific capacity. However, the shuttle effect of the soluble polysulfide intermediates could lead to a severe self-discharge effect that hinders the development of lithium-sulfur batteries. In this paper, a battery separator has been prepared based on NiFe₂O₄/Ketjen Black (KB) modification by a simple method to solve the shuttle effect and improve the battery performance. The as-modified separator with the combination of small-size KB and NiFe₂O₄ nanoparticles can effectively use the physical and chemical double-layer adsorption to prevent polysulfide from the shuttle. Moreover, it can give full play to its catalytic effect to improve the conversion efficiency of polysulfide and activate the dead sulfur. The results show that the NiFe₂O₄/KB-modified separator battery still maintains a discharge capacity of 406.27 mAh/g after 1000 stable cycles at a high current density of 1 C. Furthermore, the coulombic efficiency remains at 99%, and the average capacity attenuation per cycle is only 0.051%. This simple and effective method can significantly improve the application capacity of lithium-sulfur batteries.

Facile Separator Modification Strategy for Trapping Soluble Polyphosphides and Enhancing the Electrochemical Performance of Phosphorus Anode

Phosphorus anode is one of the most promising candidates for high-energy-density lithium-ion batteries. Recent studies found the lithiation process of phosphorus is accompanied by the soluble intermediates of lithium polyphosphides. The trans-separator diffusion of polyphosphides is responsible for the capacity decay. Herein, a facile separator modification strategy is proposed for improving the performance of phosphorus anode. The lightweight CNT-modified layer that has a continuous conductive skeleton, a dense structure, and a strong interaction with the soluble lithium polyphosphides can trap, stabilize, and reactivate the active material. Without sophisticated electrode structure design, the cyclability and high-rate performance of the phosphorus anode has been significantly improved, leading to a higher specific capacity of 1505 mAh/g at 250 mA/g (200th cycle) and 1312 mAh/g at 2 A/g. With the advantages of simplicity and low cost, the separator modification strategy provides a new feasible way for further improvement of the phosphorus-based anode.

Facile Synthesis of Heterostructured MoS2-MoO3 Nanosheets with Active Electrocatalytic Sites for High-Performance Lithium-Sulfur Batteries

In order to overcome the shuttling effect of soluble polysulfides in lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries, we have designed and synthesized a creative MoS₂-MoO₃/carbon shell (MoS₂-MoO₃/CS) composite by a H₂O₂-enabled oxidizing process under mild conditions, which is further used for separator modification. The MoS₂-MoO₃ heterostructures can conform to the CS morphology, forming two-dimensional nanosheets, and thus shorten the transport path of lithium ion and electrons. Based on our theoretical calculations and experiments, the heterostructures show strong surface affinity toward polysulfides and good catalytic activity to accelerate polysulfide conversion. Benefiting from the above merits, the Li-S battery with a MoS₂-MoO₃/CS modified separator exhibits good electrochemical performance: it delivers a high discharge capacity of 1531 mAh g^-1 at 0.2 C; the initial capacity can be maintained by 92% after 600 cycles at 1 C, and the discharge capacity decay rate is only 0.0135% per cycle. Moreover, the MoS₂-MoO₃/CS battery still achieves good cycling stability with 78% capacity retention after 100 cycles at 0.2 C with a high sulfur loading of 5.9 mg cm^-2. This work offers a facile design to construct the MoS₂-MoO₃ heterostructures for high-performance Li-S batteries, and may also improve one's understanding on the heterostructure contribution during polysulfide adsorption and conversion.

Suppressing Redox Shuttle with MXene-Modified Separators for Li-O2 Batteries

Redox mediators (RMs) have been developed as efficient approaches to lower the charge polarization of Li-O₂ batteries. However, the shuttle effect resulting from their soluble nature severely damages the battery performance, causing failure of the RM and anode corrosion. In this work, a chemical binding strategy based on a MXene-modified separator with a 3D porous hierarchical structure design was developed to suppress the I₃^- shutting in LiI-involved Li-O₂ battery. As corroborated by experimental characterizations and theoretical calculations, the abundant -OH terminal groups on the MXene surface functioned as effective binding sites for suppressing the migration of I₃^-, while the 3D porous structure ensured the fast transfer of lithium ions. As a result, the Li-O₂ battery with the MXene-modified separator showed no sign of redox shuttling compared with its counterparts in the full discharge/charge tests. In the meantime, the MXene-modified separator based-cell exhibited a stable cycle life up to 100 cycles, which is 3 times longer than the control samples. We believe that this work could provide insights into the development of separator modification for Li-O₂ batteries with RMs.

Functionalized Boron Nitride-Based Modification Layer as Ion Regulator Toward Stable Lithium Anode at High Current Densities

It is difficult to achieve higher energy density with the existing system of lithium (Li)-ion batteries. As a powerful candidate, Li metal batteries are in the renaissance. Unfortunately, the uncontrolled growth process of Li dendrites has limited their actual application. Hence, inhibiting the formation and spread of Li dendrites has become an enormous challenge. Herein, a novel composite separator is developed with functionalized boron nitride nanosheet modification layer as a Li-ion regulator to regulate Li-ion fluxes. The composite separator contains abundant polar groups and nanoscale channels and could achieve uniform electrochemical deposition via the lithiophilic effect and shunting action. Under the synergy influence of the lithiophilic effect and shunting action, Li dendrites are effectively suppressed. As proof, the Li||Li symmetrical cells with composite separators can circulate steadily for a long time under high current densities (10 mA cm^-2, 800 h). Moreover, the LiFePO₄||Li full cells display excellent long cycling performance (82% retention after 800 cycles).

Enhanced Catalytic Conversion of Polysulfides Using Bimetallic Co7Fe3 for High-Performance Lithium-Sulfur Batteries

Practical applications of lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries have been severely hindered by their low capacity, poor rate performance, and fast capacity degradation, which mainly originate from the notorious polysulfide shuttle effect. Herein, with density functional theory calculations, we show that the alloying of Fe into carbon-coated Co not only provides moderate binding interactions with the polysulfides to hinder their diffusion but also serves as an active catalyst in the spontaneous and successive lithiation of S₈ to Li₂S. Based on the fast migration of Li ions and the spontaneous lithiation of Li₂S₂ on the carbon-coated Fe-Co alloy, the entrapping-conversion processes of polysulfides are both thermodynamically and kinetically promoted in redox cycling. Experimentally, rationally designed Co₇Fe₃@porous graphite carbon-carbon nanotubes (Co₇Fe₃@PGC-CNT) electrocatalysts are introduced into Li-S batteries through separator functionalization. Consistent with theoretical predictions, Li-S batteries with Co₇Fe₃@PGC-CNT modified separators exhibit a dramatically enhanced rate capacity (788 and 631 mAh g^-1 at 10 and 15 C rates, respectively) and cycling stability (a slow capacity decay of 0.05% per cycle over 1000 cycles at 2.0 C), which are superior to those of most reported Li-S batteries coupled with state-of-the-art separators. Furthermore, it is shown that the excellent hindering of the shuttle effects enables a high areal capacity of 4.7 mAh cm^-2 after 90 cycles at a high sulfur loading of 6.7 mg cm^-2. Our work provides a feasible method for developing high-energy and long-life Li-S batteries, which might drive the commercialization of Li-S batteries.

Nitrogen-Doped Porous Carbon Networks with Active Fe-Nx Sites to Enhance Catalytic Conversion of Polysulfides in Lithium-Sulfur Batteries

The practical development of lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries is largely obstructed by their poor cycling stability due to the shuttling effect of soluble polysulfides. To address this issue, we herein report an interconnected porous N-doped carbon network (NPCN) incorporating Fe₃C nanoparticles and Fe-N_x moieties, which is used for separator modification. The NPCN can facilitate lithium ion and electron transport and localize polysulfides within the separator's cathode side due to strong chemisorption; the Fe₃C/Fe-N_x species also provides chemical adsorption to trap polysulfides and Fe₃C catalyzes the redox conversion of polysulfides. More importantly, the catalysis effect of Fe₃C is promoted by the presence of Fe-N_x coordination sites as indicated by the enhanced redox current in cyclic voltammetry. Due to the above synergistic effects, the battery with the Fe₃C/Fe-N_x@NPCN modified separator exhibits high capacity and good cycling performance: at a current density of 0.1C, it yields a high capacity of 1517 mAh g^-1 with 1.2 mg cm^-2 sulfur loading and only experiences a capacity decay rate of 0.034% per cycle after 500 cycles at 1C; it also delivers a good capacity of 683 mAh g^-1 at 0.1C with a high sulfur loading of 5.0 mg cm^-2; after 200 cycles, the battery capacity can still reach 596 mAh g^-1, corresponding to 87% capacity retention. Our work provides a new and effective strategy to achieve the catalytic conversion of polysulfide and is beneficial for the development of rechargeable Li-S batteries.

Enhanced Sulfur Redox and Polysulfide Regulation via Porous VN-Modified Separator for Li-S Batteries

Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries have now emerged as the next-generation rechargeable energy storage system because of the high energy density and theoretical capacity. However, the notorious "lithium polysulfide (LiPS) shuttle" and sluggish kinetics in sulfur redox have posted great threat to their practical applications. Herein, we develop a VN-modified separator as an effective promoter to regulate the LiPSs and accelerate the electrochemical kinetics of Li-S batteries. Benefiting from the dense packing structure and polar surface of porous VN, the VN-modified separator favorably synergizes bifunctionality of physical confinement and chemical entrapment toward LiPSs while affording smooth lithium-ion migration. In addition, the superb electrical conductivity of VN also propels the LiPS conversion. With these advantages, thus-integrated batteries with VN-modified separator exhibit an average capacity decay of 0.077% per cycle at 1 C for 800 cycles. A reasonable areal capacity of 4.2 mAh cm^-2 is achieved even with a high sulfur mass loading of 3.8 mg cm^-2 at 0.2 C. The present work offers a rational strategy to regulate the LiPS behavior and guide the sulfur redox kinetics toward effective and long-life Li-S batteries.