Ternary Hybrid Material for High-Performance Lithium-Sulfur Battery.

TLDR: A novel strategy to address the problem of fast capacity decay caused by polysulfide dissolution/shuttling and low specific capacity caused by the poor electrical conductivities of the active materials is demonstrated by designing and synthesizing a carbon nanotube (CNT)/NiFe2O4-S ternary hybrid material structure.

Abstract: The rechargeable lithium–sulfur battery is a promising option for energy storage applications because of its low cost and high energy density. The electrochemical performance of the sulfur cathode, however, is substantially compromised because of fast capacity decay caused by polysulfide dissolution/shuttling and low specific capacity caused by the poor electrical conductivities of the active materials. Herein we demonstrate a novel strategy to address these two problems by designing and synthesizing a carbon nanotube (CNT)/NiFe2O4–S ternary hybrid material structure. In this unique material architecture, each component synergistically serves a specific purpose: The porous CNT network provides fast electron conduction paths and structural stability. The NiFe2O4 nanosheets afford strong binding sites for trapping polysulfide intermediates. The fine S nanoparticles well-distributed on the CNT/NiFe2O4 scaffold facilitate fast Li+ storage and release for energy delivery. The hybrid material exhibits balanced ...