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Superhierarchical Cobalt‐Embedded Nitrogen‐Doped Porous Carbon Nanosheets as Two‐in‐One Hosts for High‐Performance Lithium–Sulfur Batteries
Author(s) -
Liu Shaohong,
Li Jia,
Yan Xue,
Su Quanfei,
Lu Yuheng,
Qiu Jieshan,
Wang Zhiyu,
Lin Xidong,
Huang Junlong,
Liu Ruliang,
Zheng Bingna,
Chen Luyi,
Fu Ruowen,
Wu Dingcai
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
advanced materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 10.707
H-Index - 527
eISSN - 1521-4095
pISSN - 0935-9648
DOI - 10.1002/adma.201706895
Subject(s) - heteroatom , polysulfide , materials science , sulfur , lithium (medication) , faraday efficiency , anode , carbon fibers , chemical engineering , redox , cobalt , inorganic chemistry , cathode , metal , electrolyte , electrode , chemistry , organic chemistry , composite material , metallurgy , medicine , ring (chemistry) , engineering , composite number , endocrinology
Lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries, based on the redox reaction between elemental sulfur and lithium metal, have attracted great interest because of their inherently high theoretical energy density. However, the severe polysulfide shuttle effect and sluggish reaction kinetics in sulfur cathodes, as well as dendrite growth in lithium‐metal anodes are great obstacles for their practical application. Herein, a two‐in‐one approach with superhierarchical cobalt‐embedded nitrogen‐doped porous carbon nanosheets (Co/N‐PCNSs) as stable hosts for both elemental sulfur and metallic lithium to improve their performance simultaneously is reported. Experimental and theoretical results reveal that stable Co nanoparticles, elaborately encapsulated by N‐doped graphitic carbon, can work synergistically with N heteroatoms to reserve the soluble polysulfides and promote the redox reaction kinetics of sulfur cathodes. Moreover, the high‐surface‐area pore structure and the Co‐enhanced lithiophilic N heteroatoms in Co/N‐PCNSs can regulate metallic lithium plating and successfully suppress lithium dendrite growth in the anodes. As a result, a full lithium–sulfur cell constructed with Co/N‐PCNSs as two‐in‐one hosts demonstrates excellent capacity retention with stable Coulombic efficiency.