Enhancing Lithium-Sulfur Battery Performance with In2O3-In2S3@NSC Heterostructures: Synergistic Effects of Double Barrier and Catalytic Transformation

The sluggish redox reaction kinetics of lithium polysulfides (LiPSs) are considered the main obstacle to the commercial application of lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries. To accelerate the conversion by catalysis and inhibit the shuttling of soluble LiPSs in Li-S batteries, a solution is proposed in this study. The solution involves fabrication of N, S co-doped carbon coated In 2 O 3 /In 2 S 3 heterostructure (In 2 O 3 -In 2 S 3 @NSC) as a multifunctional host material for the cathode. The In 2 O 3 -In 2 S 3 @NSC composite can reduce the Gibbs free energy for the conversion reactions of LiPSs, which results in superior performance. The synergy between different components in In 2 O 3 -In 2 S 3 @NSC and the unique 3D structure facilitate ion and electron transport in Li-S batteries. The In 2 O 3 -In 2 S 3 @NSC/Li 2 S 6 cathode exhibits excellent rate capacity, with a capacity of 599 mAh g -1 at 5.5 C, and good cycle stability, with a capacity of 436 mAh g -1 after 10 0 0 cycles at 1 C. Overall, this study proposes a promising solution to improve the energy storage properties of Li-S batteries, which could potentially facilitate the commercialization of Li-S batteries. & COPY; 2023 Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of The editorial office of Journal of Materials Science & Technology.