Atomically dispersed metal-site electrocatalysts for high-performance lithium-sulfur batteries

Controlling the intense shuttle effects and improving the slow electrochemical sulfur reduction of lithium polysulfides in lithium-sulfur (Li–S) batteries are major challenges that hinder practical application of Li–S batteries. Here, we developed a universal method for constructing atomically dispersed polymetallic sites embedded in N-doped mesoporous carbon (NC) derived from polymetallic co-doped zeolite imidazole framework-8 for the electrode of Li–S batteries. The electrode showed a volcano-shaped relationship between LiPS adsorption ability and the catalytic activity. We constructed Co–Ni dual atoms in the NC with two active centers as a model. The CoNi–NC composite exhibited the highest cycling stability reported so far. It was attributed to the multiple active centers that the nickel atoms adsorb and catalyze conversion of long-chain polysulfides, while the cobalt atoms provide fast Li2S deposition kinetics. Multiple-atom catalysts show promise as advanced electrocatalytic materials for constructing high-performance Li–S batteries.