Mo2C–MoP heterostructure enables catalytic route for high-performance lithium sulfur battery

Abstract

The commercialization of lithium-sulfur (Li–S) batteries is hindered by the polysulfide shuttle and sluggish conversion kinetics. Herein, we report a strategy for regulating the polysulfide conversion pathway via a Mo₂C–MoP heterostructure. With moderate adsorption strength and strong orbital coupling, this heterostructure catalyzes the cleavage of Li₂S₆ into LiS₃^● radicals, which subsequently undergo rapid liquid-phase disproportionation to facilitate chemical nucleation of Li₂S, thereby bypassing the slow liquid–solid conversion step. The S/Mo₂C–MoP@CNF cathode constructed on this mechanism exhibits remarkable electrochemical performance, achieving a high discharge capacity of 1054.2 mAh g⁻¹ at 0.5C with a low capacity fading of only 0.062% per cycle.