Single-atom catalyst boosts electrochemical conversion reactions in batteries

High energy barrier originated from the sluggish ion kinetics is considered to be a major obstacle for achieving high discharge rates in advanced battery systems, especially for electric vehicle applications. Herein, for the first time we show that the single atom catalyst can play a compelling role in boosting the electrochemical conversion kinetics and achieving previously-unreachable ultra-high-rate performance. Both experimental and theoretical results prove that atomically-dispersed single iron atoms promote the delithiation of relatively-inert Li2S cathode and accelerate the reversible electrochemical conversion reactions during its long-term cycling. The work demonstrates the effectiveness of single atom catalysis in improving the performance of Li2S/Li batteries (588 mAh g−1 at 12 C and capacity fading rate of 0.06% per cycle for 1000 cycles at 5 C) and opens a new route to breaking the rate limit for other future conversion-based high energy batteries.