Anchoring and catalyzing polysulfides by rGO/MoS2/C modified separator in lithium–sulfur batteries

Effective adsorption and catalysis are vital in developing high-efficient and stable lithium-sulfur (Li–S) batteries. Here, a coral-like porous composite containing molybdenum sulfide (rGO/MoS2/C) as interlayer on the separator to mitigate polysulfide shuttling. Since the rGO/MoS2/C composite exhibits promising electrolyte wetting properties with a large specific surface area, which can be fully utilized for the adsorption of lithium polysulfides (LiPSs). In addition, the molybdenum sulfide active site can effectively bind to and catalyze the conversion of LiPSs, further preventing the penetration of LiPSs. As a result, the assembled device shows excellent cycle stability with a low capacity decay of 0.022% per cycle over 1000 cycles (2.0C). In addition, the device still preserves a decent cycle ability even at low electrolyte and high sulfur loading conditions. This work presents a feasible strategy to anchor and accelerate the conversion of LiPSs by designing multifunctional transition metal sulfide composites with high adsorption properties and catalytic activity to achieve stable cycle of Li–S batteries.