Conductive FeOOH as Multifunctional Interlayer for Superior Lithium–Sulfur Batteries

Abstract The commercial course of Li–S batteries (LSBs) is impeded by several severe problems, such as low electrical conductivity of S, Li 2 S 2 , and Li 2 S, considerable volume variation up to 80% during multiphase transformation and severe intermediation lithium polysulfides (LiPSs) shuttle effect. To solve above problems, conductive FeOOH interlayer is designed as an effective trapper and catalyst to accelerate the conversion of LiPSs in LSBs. FeOOH nanorod is effectively affinitive to S that Fe atoms act as Lewis acid sites to capture LiPSs via strong chemical anchoring capability and dispersion interaction. The excellent electrocatalytic effect enables that reduced charging potential barrier and enhanced electron/ion transport is realized on the FeOOH interlayer to promote LiPSs conversion. Significantly, Li 2 S oxidation process is improved on the FeOOH interlayer determined as a combination of reduced Li 2 S decomposition energy barrier and enhanced Li‐ion transport. Therefore, the multifunctional FeOOH interlayer with conductive and catalytic features show strong chemisorption with LiPSs and accelerated LiPSs redox kinetics. As a result, LSBs with FeOOH interlayer displays high discharge capacity of 1449 mAh g −1 at 0.05 C and low capacity decay of 0.05% per cycle at 1 C, as well as excellent rate capability (449 mAh g −1 at 2 C).