Persulfurated Coronene: A New Generation of “Sulflower”

We report the first synthesis of a persulfurated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) as a next-generation “sulflower.” In this novel PAH, disulfide units establish an all-sulfur periphery around a coronene core. The structure, electronic properties, and redox behavior were investigated by microscopic, spectroscopic and electrochemical methods and supported by density functional theory. The sulfur-rich character of persulfurated coronene renders it a promising cathode material for lithium–sulfur batteries, displaying a high capacity of 520 mAh g–1 after 120 cycles at 0.6 C with a high-capacity retention of 90%.