Enhanced catalytic conversion of polysulfide using 1D CoTe and 2D MXene for heat-resistant and lean-electrolyte Li-S batteries

The key to achieving high-power, high-energy, and high-level safety for Li-S batteries is to accelerate the polysulfide conversion via electrocatalysis. Herein, we develop a bifunctional electrocatalytic 1D-2D CoTe-MXene separator modifier for heat-resistant and lean-electrolyte Li - S batteries. This combination of multiple compositions and hierarchical architecture design improves the separator's thermal durability while also speeding up Li2S nucleation and decomposition. As a result, Li - S batteries with CoTe-MXene separators achieve the high discharge capacity of 1664 mAh g-1, excellent rate capability (905 mAh g-1 at 3C), and long-term cyclability at 60 degrees C. More impressively, the battery can deliver a high areal capacity of 9.0 mAh cm-2 even at a lean electrolyte (3 mu L mg-1) and a high temperature (60 degrees C), which is rarely achieved by traditional Li-S batteries.