Boron nitride nanosheets wrapped by reduced graphene oxide for promoting polysulfides adsorption in lithium-sulfur batteries

The polysulfides shuttling and slow redox kinetics of sulfur-based cathodes have severely hindered the commercialization of lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries. Herein, distinctive three-dimensional microspheres composed of boron nitride (BN) nanosheets and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) were applied to act as efficient sulfur cathode hosts for the first time using in a spray-drying process. Using this construction, the robust microsphere structure could shorten ion diffusion pathways and supply sufficient spaces to alleviate the volumetric expansion of sulfur during lithiation. Besides, the synergistic effect between BN and rGO significantly enhanced polysulfides adsorption capability and accelerated their conversion, verified by the density functional theory (DFT) calculations and adsorption experiments. Consequently, the S-BN@rGO cathode could manifest the high initial capacity (1137 mAh g(-1) at 0.2 C) and remarkable cycling/stability performance (572 mAh g(-1) at 1 C after 500 cycles). These results shed light on a design concept of high-performance sulfur cathode host materials. (C) 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.