Trace Metal Impurities Induce Differences in Lithium–Sulfur Batteries

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with exceptional conductivity have been widely adopted in lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries. While trace metal impurities in CNTs have demonstrated electrocatalytic activity in various catalytic processes, their influence on sulfur electrocatalysis in Li-S batteries has been largely overlooked. Herein, we reveal that the trace metal impurities content in CNTs significantly improves the specific capacity and cycling performance of Li-S batteries by analyzing both our own results and previous literature with CNTs as the sulfur hosts. Even under lean electrolyte conditions (E/S ratio of 5 μL mg