MoO₂/t-C₃N₄ Heterogeneous Materials with Bidirectional Catalysis for the Rapid Conversion of S Species in Li–S Batteries

Li–S batteries have drawn a lot of attention for their high theoretical specific capacity and significant economic benefits. However, the shuttle effect of polysulfides prevents them from being used widely. To tackle this difficulty, a heterogeneous structure based on tubular carbon nitride with evenly dispersed molybdenum dioxide nanoparticles (MoO 2 /t-C 3 N 4 ) as the S host is constructed in this work. As a polar material with a large specific surface area, MoO 2 /t-C 3 N 4 has a strong anchoring effect on polysulfide. Additionally, the heterogeneous material has excellent bidirectional catalytic ability for the redox process of S species based on the action of the built-in electric field formed by electron directional transfer. Not only does it improve the reaction kinetics of the redox process of the polysulfides but it also prevents polysulfides from accumulating on the surface of the modified material and deactivating it, further improving the utilization of the active material. Thus, MoO 2 /t-C 3 N 4 /S shows the high initial-discharge specific capacity of 812.7 mAh g –1 at the current density of 5C, and the Coulombic efficiency is maintained at more than 95% after 400 charge/discharge cycles. Moreover, MoO 2 /t-C 3 N 4 /S achieved a capacity retention of 89% after 100 cycles at the current density of 0.1C under the high S loading. Therefore, the research results of this work provide a trustworthy reference for the future commercial application of Li–S batteries.