Structural Optimization of MoC Nanocrystals/Nitrogen-doped Porous Carbon for Enhanced Performance in Lithium-Sulfur Batteries
ZHANG Yiwei, HU Renzong, OUYANG Liuzhang, LIU Jun, YANG Lichun*, ZHU Min
Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Energy Storage Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China
Abstract: The shuttle effect of lithium polysulfides (LiPSs) and the sluggish redox kinetics severely hinder the commercial application of lithium-sulfur batteries. The present work made a successful attempt to synthesize an ultrafine α-MoC nanocrystalline material loaded on a nitrogen-doped porous carbon (NPC) substrate, namely MoC/NPC, in which the confinement effect of carbon on MoC nanocrystals could be optimized by controlling the ratio of carbon source to molybdenum source. Appropriate MoC nanocrystal diameter and NPC content were found to lead to the strongest adsorption for LiPSs and full exposure of sulfur-reactive active sites. This not only effectively suppresses the shuttle effect but also accelerates the reaction kinetics of Li2S deposition and nucleation. The optimum product, MoC/NPC-12, synthesized with a mass ratio of dicyandiamide (C source) to CdMoO4(Mo source) of 12, demonstrated excellent rate capability (634.4 mAh·g-1 at 4C), high discharge capacity (1 203.9 mAh·g-1 at 0.2C), and exceptional cycle stability (a capacity decay rate of only 0.093% per cycle during 400 cycles at 1C) when loaded with~1.2 mg·cm-2 sulfur. And despite a further increment of sulfur loading to 3.8 mg·cm-2, an initial areal capacity of MoC/NPC-12@S of 4.7 mAh·cm-2 could still be achieved. This work provides valuable insights for the rational design and optimization of catalyst host materials in lithium-sulfur batteries.
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2025, Vol. 39 
