Effects of O, S, and P in transition-metal compounds on the adsorption and catalytic ability of sulfur cathodes in lithium–sulfur batteries
Meng Du, Jiakang Shi, Yuxiao Shi, Guangxun Zhang, Yan Yan, Pengbiao Geng, Ziqi Tian, Huan Pang
Abstract
ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry revealed that the catalytic ability for lithium polysulfide conversion follows the order: FeCoNiP > FeCoNiS > FeCoNiO. These results indicate that FeCoNiP is an excellent polysulfide immobilizer and catalyst that restricts shuttling and improves reaction kinetics. Electrochemical tests further demonstrated that the FeCoNiP cathode delivered superior cycling performance to FeCoNiO or FeCoNiS. In addition, the battery performance order is consistent with that of catalytic ability, which suggests that catalytic ability plays a key influencing role in batteries. This study provides new insight into the use of O-, S-, and P-doped TMCs as functional sulfur carriers.