In situ engineered ultrafine NiS2-ZnS heterostructures in micro–mesoporous carbon spheres accelerating polysulfide redox kinetics for high-performance lithium–sulfur batteries. Issue 30 (24th July 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Jin, Zhanshuang; Lin, Tianning; Jia, Hongfeng; Liu, Bingqiu; Zhang, Qi; Chen, Lihua; Zhang, Lingyu; Li, Lu; Su, Zhongmin; Wang, Chungang
• Is Part Of: Nanoscale. Volume 12:Issue 30(2020)
• Page Start: 16201
• Page End: 16207
• Publication Date: 2020-07-24
• Subjects: Nanoscience -- Periodicals; Nanotechnology -- Periodicals; 620.505
• DOI: 10.1039/d0nr04189k
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2040-3364

Abstract

Abstract : A combination of uNiS2 -ZnS and micro–mesoporous carbon perfectly achieves a synergistic effect for the physical confinement and chemical adsorption/catalysis of polysulfides. Abstract : Host materials that can physically confine and chemically adsorb/catalyze lithium polysulfides (LiPSs) are currently receiving intensive research interest for developing lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries. Herein, a novel host material made of micro–mesoporous carbon nanospheres (MMC NSs) with well-dispersed ultrafine NiS2 -ZnS (uNiS2 -ZnS) heterostructures is synthesized for the first time via a simple in situ sulfuration process. The uNiS2 -ZnS/MMC materials achieve the synergistic effect of physical confinement and the efficient chemical adsorption/catalysis of LiPSs through a micro–mesoporous structure and well-dispersed uNiS2 -ZnS heterostructures. In addition, compared with bulk heterostructured materials, the uNiS2 -ZnS heterostructures greatly enhance the adsorption and catalytic ability toward LiPSs because the catalysis interface effect and naturally formed in-plane interfaces can be magnified by the ultrafine dispersed nanoparticles. As a result, the prepared uNiS2 -ZnS/MMC-S cathodes exhibit outstanding rate capacity (675.5 mA h g −1 at 5.0C) and cyclic stability (710.5 mA h g −1 at 1.0C after 1000 cycles with a low capacity decay of 0.033% per cycle). This work provides a certain reference for the application of heterostructured materials in Li–S batteries.