Rational design of Co4N nanoparticle loaded porous carbon as a sulfur matrix for advanced lithium–sulfur batteries

Abstract

Lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries have a high specific capacity of 1675 mAh g⁻¹ and are considered to be a promising next-generation energy storage system. A sulfur host for loading Co₄N nanoparticles into porous carbon has been designed as the cathode for high-performance Li–S batteries. The porous carbon successfully confines sulfur and Co₄N in the pores, and the synergistic effect of physical and chemical adsorption can effectively inhibit the dissolution and diffusion of polysulfides. Besides, the Co₄N nanoparticles can also catalyze the redox reaction kinetics. At a current density of 0.5 C, S@KJ-Co₄N cathodes deliver a high specific discharge capacity of 958.3 mAh g⁻¹ and retain at 784.0 mAh g⁻¹ after 200 cycles, corresponding to a decay rate of 0.09% per cycle. It is believed that this work can provide a promising strategy for the design of many energy storage systems.