VO2/VS4 heterostructures structure-modified 3D reduced graphene oxide aerogel as an advanced host for lithium-sulfur batteries

Lithium-sulfur batteries face challenges including volume expansion, slow reaction kinetics, and shuttle effects. To overcome these limitations, we utilized a combination of vanadium-based heterostructures and conductive porous reduced graphene oxide aerogels to improve charge transfer kinetics. The researchers synthesised vanadium-based reduced graphene oxide aerogels (VO2/VS4@RGO) via tube furnace calcination and a one-step hydrothermal method. Vanadium-based heterostructures were electrostatically adsorbed onto the surface of three-dimensional reduced graphene oxide aerogels. The fibrous structure of VO2/VS4 promoted charge transfer, while the high conductivity of V-S bonds lowered the surface reaction barrier. The VO2/VS4@RGO-3/S cathode exhibited outstanding cycling stability at a high discharge rate of 2C, demonstrating an initial discharge specific capacity of 771.94 mAh g-1 and an average decay rate of 0.071 % after 700 cycles. It also maintained excellent electrochemical performance under high sulfur loading.