Spatially Heterogeneous Oxygen Vacancy Engineering in Olive‐Shaped In ₂ O _x for Accelerated Sulfur Redox Kinetics and Long‐Life Lithium–Sulfur Batteries

ABSTRACT Oxygen vacancy (OV)‐engineered catalysts show promise for lithium sulfur batteries (LSBs) by enhancing polysulfide adsorption and conversion, yet most studies focus on total OV concentration while overlooking spatial distribution effects on local catalytic activity and charge transport. This limitation hinders active site utilization and kinetic improvement. To address these issues, we report the successful synthesis of an olive‐shaped In ₂ O _x nanocatalyst through a straightforward urea‐assisted precursor engineering strategy. This catalyst exhibits a distinctive non‐uniformly distributed OVs, extending the current insights spatially heterogeneous distribution of OVs. Kinetic analysis demonstrates that this distribution enhances catalytic site density and facilitates optimized electron transport pathways. Capitalizing on the synergistic effects of this gradient OV distribution, LSBs incorporating In ₂ O _x –L deliver superior performance: an initial capacity of 1171 mAh g ⁻¹ (0.2 C), robust high‐rate capability, and extended cyclability under demanding conditions (1 C cycling; E/S = 10 µL mg ⁻¹ ). This work demonstrates the precise spatial regulation of OVs in electrocatalysts, thereby advancing design principles for next‐generation vacancy‐engineered catalytic systems.