A Lamellar Yolk–Shell Lithium‐Sulfur Battery Cathode Displaying Ultralong Cycling Life, High Rate Performance, and Temperature Tolerance

Abstract

Abstract The shuttling behavior and slow conversion kinetics of the intermediate lithium polysulfides are the severe obstacles for the application of lithium‐sulfur (Li‐S) batteries over a wide temperature range. Here, an engineered lamellar yolk–shell structure of In2O3@void@carbon for the Li‐S battery cathode is developed for the first time to construct a powerful barrier that effectively inhibits the shuttling of polysulfides. On the basis of the unique nanochannel‐containing morphology, the continuous kinetic transformation of sulfur and polysulfides is confined in a stable framework, which is demonstrated by using X‐ray nanotomography. The constructed Li‐S battery exhibits a high cycling capability over 1000 cycles at 1.0 C with a capacity decay rate as low as 0.038% per cycle, good rate performance, and temperature tolerance at −10, 25, and 50 °C. A nondestructive in situ monitoring method of the interfacial reaction resistance in different cycling stages is proposed, which provides a new analysis perspective for the development of emerging electrochemical energy‐storage systems.

Keywords

• binding energy
• cycling stability
• nano‐CT
• secondary batteries
• shuttle effect