Manipulating the Li–S reaction kinetics via the V8C7/phosphorus defect-integrated carbon promoter

V8C7/phosphorus defect-integrated carbon (VPC) is proposed as a dual-function promoter for Li-S chemistry. The well-dispersed V8C7 and phosphorus defects exhibit ample polar sites and remarkable electron conductivity. Such rational integration of dual active centers simultaneously suppresses the shuttle effect and propels the Li-S redox reaction kinetics. Therefore, the S/VPC cathode shows an initial capacity of 1090.0 mA h g-1 and a high retention of 83.5% at 0.2C after 100 cycles and a low decay rate of 0.076% at 2C over 600 cycles.