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2D Sandwich‐Like α‐Zirconium Phosphate/Polypyrrole: Moderate Catalytic Activity and True Sulfur Confinement for High‐Performance Lithium–Sulfur Batteries
Author(s) -
Liu Ye,
Yan Wenjun,
Zhang Wei,
Kong Wei,
Wang Zhongde,
Hao Xiaogang,
Guan Guoqing
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
chemsuschem
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.412
H-Index - 157
eISSN - 1864-564X
pISSN - 1864-5631
DOI - 10.1002/cssc.201902227
Subject(s) - nanosheet , materials science , polypyrrole , sulfur , lithium (medication) , cathode , zirconium phosphate , electrochemistry , catalysis , chemical engineering , nanotechnology , polysulfide , inorganic chemistry , chemistry , phosphate , electrolyte , electrode , organic chemistry , medicine , endocrinology , engineering , metallurgy
Although lithium–sulfur batteries are promising environmentally friendly and low‐cost energy storage devices with high energy densities, many obstacles such as poor conductivity, volume expansion and the “shuttle effect” still limit their large‐scale commercialization. In this work, a 2D sandwich‐like α‐ZrP/polypyrrole (α‐ZrP/PPy) material with a nanosheet structure was designed as a sulfur host. The material can provide unique ion transfer channels for the rapid transfer of Li + ions and catalytically promote the conversion of lithium polysulfides (LiPSs). Moreover, the α‐ZrP nanosheets provides a true covalent anchor for sulfur species, whereas the PPy builds a physical barrier and forms a conductive network for accelerating the electron transport and promoting the electrochemical performance. In addition, the moderate catalytic activity and true sulfur confinement effect of α‐ZrP were confirmed by experiments and theoretical calculations. The α‐ZrP/PPy@S cathode exhibits a highly reversible capacity of 727.2 mAh g −1 even at a high current density of 5 C, offering a novel cathode material for high performance Li–S batteries.