Enhanced electrochemical performance of lithium-sulfur batteries by using mesoporous TiO2 spheres as host materials for sulfur impregnation

Lithium-sulfur batteries are a promising energy storage system due to their high energy density. However, the commercialization of Li-S batteries are still hindered by the dissolution of polysulfides during cycling process. Herein, we demonstrate a host material of TiO2 spheres with mesopores for sulfur impregnation in lithium-sulfur batteries. The as-prepared mesoporous TiO2 spheres present large pore volume. This provides accessible inner pores as a stable reservoir for polysulfides. Meanwhile, the TiO2 spheres provide huge reaction interface, which could facilitate the transportation of electron. As a result, the resulting TiO2/S composites exhibit excellent electrochemical performance. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.