Suppressing the Shuttle Effects with FeCo/SPAN Cathodes and High-Concentration Electrolytes for High-Performance Lithium–Sulfur Batteries

The shuttle effects and the sluggish redox kinetics are two of the main challenges in lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries, which significantly reduce the capacity of the batteries and restrict their commercialization. Herein, FeCo/sulfurized polyacrylonitrile (SPAN) is synthesized as a cathode material via the electrospinning technique and a further heat treatment. Synchrotron X-ray absorption spectroscopy confirmed the existence of Fe–S/Fe and Co–S bonds in FeCo/SPAN, which benefit the adsorptive and catalytic activities toward lithium polysulfides (LiPSs). We further investigated the effect of electrolyte concentration in inhibiting the shuttle of LiPSs in Li–S batteries. Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) reveals that more contact ion pairs are formed and fewer free solvent molecules exist with the increase of the electrolyte concentration, which can inhibit the dissolution and shuttle of LiPSs. Finally, the batteries assembled with high-concentration electrolytes (3 M LiTFSI in DOL/DME) exhibit a higher specific capacity retention compared to those assembled with low-concentration electrolytes. This work enriches the route to prepare Li–S batteries with the rational design of cathode materials and electrolytes.