An interlayer with architecture that limits polysulfides shuttle to give a stable performance Li-S battery

A carbonized interlayer is effective for enhancing the electrochemical performance of a lithium sulfur (Li-S) battery. Here we report on two different interlayer architectures which are derived from cotton using simple preparation processes. One is a large pore volume carbon matrix (LCM) and the other is a porous carbon matrix with undulating zones partially covering the surface (UCM). These two interlayers are anticipated to restrain the shuttle effect of lithium polysulfides and improve the cycling stability. The LCM can be impregnated with 74.5 wt% sulfur and this is also used as the cathode for a Li-S battery. The electrochemical results show that cathode with UCM as the interlayer is superior with excellent cycling stability at 0.5 C and a specific capacity of 691 mAh g−1 after the 300th cycle. Even at 5.55 mg cm−2 sulfur loading the cathode with UCM interlayer can obtain an areal capacity of 3.2 mAh cm−2 at the 180th cycle. The method developed here is practical for the large-scale production of LCM and UCM interlayers for use in Li-S batteries.