Tungsten oxide/nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes composite catalysts for enhanced redox kinetics in lithium-sulfur batteries

The sluggish redox kinetics of polysulfides in lithium-sulfur(Li-S) batteries are a significant obstacle to their widespread adoption as energy storage devices.However,recent studies have shown that tungsten oxide(WO3) can facilitate the conversion kinetics of polysulfides in Li-S batteries.Herein,we fabricated host materials for sulfur using nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes(N-CNTs) and WO3.We used low-cost components and simple procedures to overcome the poor electrical conductivity that is a disadvantage of metal oxides.The composites of WO3and N-CNTs(WO3/N-CNTs) create a stable framework structure,fast ion diffusion channels,and a 3D electron transport network during electrochemical reaction processes.As a result,the WO3/N-CNT-Li2S6cathode demonstrates high initial capacity(1162 mA·h·g-1at0.5 C),excellent rate performance(618 mA·h·g-1at 5.5 C),and a low capacity decay rate(0.093% up to600 cycles at 2 C).This work presents a novel approach for preparing tungsten oxide/carbon composite catalysts that facilitate the redox kinetics of polysulfide conversion.