A simple approach to fabricate self-supporting graphene oxide/carbon nanotubes hybrid membrane as efficient polysulfides trapping in lithium/sulfur batteries

Lithium polysulfides shuttle effect has seriously affected the development of lithium/sulfur batteries, which leads to poor cycling performance. Herein, a self-supporting graphene oxide/carbon nanotubes (GO/CNTs) hybrid membrane for lithium/sulfur batteries is prepared by facile vacuum filtration method with commercial CNTs and GO. CNTs provide fast pathways for electron transfer and lithium ions diffusion. GO sheets are decorated the CNTs paly role in trapping lithium polysulfides. Due to advantage structure, GO/CNTs@Li2S6 electrode with 4.74 mg sulfur loading exhibits an initial discharge capacity of 684.3 mAh g−1 and a capacity of 383.9 mAh g−1 after 800 cycles at 0.5 C. Moreover, the composite electrode delivers a discharge capacity of 731.8 mAh g−1 at 0.2 C, and the capacity retention rate is 77.1% over 300 cycles when the sulfur loading increasing to 7.11 mg. The above results provide an effective route for high performance of lithium/sulfur batteries with long-term cycling performance.