Surface strain-enhanced MoS<sub>2</sub> as a high-performance cathode catalyst for lithium–sulfur batteries

Zhang Chao Yue; Zhang Chaoqi; Pan Jiang Long; Sun Guo Wen; Shi Zude; Li Canhuang; Chang Xingqi; Sun Geng Zhi; Zhou Jin Yuan; Cabot Andreu

doi:10.1016/j.esci.2022.07.001

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Article Navigation > eScience > 2022 > 2(4): 405-415

Zhang Chao Yue, Zhang Chaoqi, Pan Jiang Long, Sun Guo Wen, Shi Zude, Li Canhuang, Chang Xingqi, Sun Geng Zhi, Zhou Jin Yuan, Cabot Andreu. Surface strain-enhanced MoS2 as a high-performance cathode catalyst for lithium–sulfur batteries[J]. eScience, 2022, 2(4): 405-415. doi: 10.1016/j.esci.2022.07.001

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Zhang Chao Yue, Zhang Chaoqi, Pan Jiang Long, Sun Guo Wen, Shi Zude, Li Canhuang, Chang Xingqi, Sun Geng Zhi, Zhou Jin Yuan, Cabot Andreu. Surface strain-enhanced MoS₂ as a high-performance cathode catalyst for lithium–sulfur batteries[J]. eScience, 2022, 2(4): 405-415. doi: 10.1016/j.esci.2022.07.001

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Surface strain-enhanced MoS₂ as a high-performance cathode catalyst for lithium–sulfur batteries

doi: 10.1016/j.esci.2022.07.001

a.
School of Physical Science & Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China
b.
Catalonia Institute for Energy Research – IREC, Sant Adrià de Besòs, Barcelona, 08930, Spain
c.
College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, China
d.
Institute of Advanced Materials, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing, 211816, China
e.
ICREA, Pg. Lluís Companys 23, 08010, Barcelona, Spain

More Information

Corresponding author: E-mail address: zhoujy@lzu.edu.cn (J. Zhou); acabot@irec.cat (A. Cabot)
Received Date: 2022-03-13
Revised Date: 2022-06-17
Accepted Date: 2022-07-04

Available Online: 2022-07-13

Abstract

Abstract

Lithium–sulfur batteries (LSBs) are one of the main candidates for the next generation of energy storage systems. To improve the performance of LSBs, we herein propose the use of strained MoS₂ (s-MoS₂) as a catalytically active sulfur host. The introduction of strain in the MoS₂ surface, which alters its atomic positions and expands the S–Mo–S angle, shifts the d-band center closer to the Fermi level and provides the surface with abundant and highly active catalytic sites; these enhance the catalyst's ability to adsorb lithium polysulfides (LiPS), accelerating its catalytic conversion and promoting lithium-ion transferability. Strain is generated through the synthesis of core–shell nanoparticles, using different metal sulfides as strain-inducing cores. s-MoS₂ nanoparticles are supported on carbon nanofibers (CNF/s-MoS₂), and the resulting electrodes are characterized by capacities of 1290 and 657 mAh g⁻¹ at 0.2 and 5 C, respectively, with a 0.05% capacity decay rate per cycle at 8 C during 700 cycles. Overall, this work not only provides an ingenious and effective strategy to regulate LiPS adsorption and conversion through strain engineering, but also indicates a path toward the application of strain engineering in other energy storage and conversion fields.
- Strain engineering,
- MoS₂,
- Lithium polysulfide,
- Electrospinning,
- Core–shell nanocrystal,
- Lithium–sulfur battery,
- Sulfur cathode

● The CNF/s-MoS₂ cathodes show a high capacity, a remarkable rate capability, and an ultralow decay rate.
● The fast ion diffusion and reaction kinetics of CNF/s-MoS₂ electrodes are verified by calculations and experiments.
● Strained MoS₂ is grown on different metal sulfides to form a core–shell structure through the electrospinning.

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