Integrated ion–electron-conducting interspace for high-performance lithium–sulfur batteries
摘要
Developing multifunctional separators is essential for mitigating the polysulfide shuttle effect and unstable lithium deposition in lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries. In this work, a series of antiperovskite nitrides was synthesized via a hydrothermal nitridation–reduction method and coated onto polypropylene (PP) separators to fabricate composite membranes. Due to its abundant metallic active sites and high electronic conductivity, the ZnNNi3 modification enables strong chemisorption and accelerated catalytic conversion of polysulfides. Simultaneously, it provides rapid Li+ transport pathways that guide uniform Li plating and effectively suppress dendrite growth. Consequently, Li–S batteries with the ZnNNi3@PP separator retain 76.5% capacity after 100 cycles at 0.5 C and deliver 589.9 mAh g−1 at 3 C. At a high sulfur loading of 6.4 mg cm−2, the ZnNNi3@PP achieves 910.5 mAh g−1 at 0.2 C and maintains 80.5% retention over 240 cycles with an ultralow fading rate of 0.08% per cycle. Li‖Li symmetric batteries further exhibit stable cycling for over 2000 h at 0.2 mA cm−2, confirming that ZnNNi3@PP enables uniform lithium deposition. This antiperovskite nitride-based modification strategy represents a promising technical route for advancing high-performance Li–S batteries.