A chemically stabilized sulfur cathode for lean electrolyte lithium sulfur batteries

Significance Sulfur is a promising cathode material for rechargeable lithium batteries due to its high capacity, low cost, abundance, and high sustainability. However, lithium sulfur batteries suffer from poor cycle life and low energy density under lean electrolyte conditions because of the dissolution of lithium polysulfide intermediates. Here, we report that the chemical bonding between sulfur and carbon/oxygen in an oxygen-rich dense carbon host can stabilize sulfur and improve the stability of lean electrolyte lithium sulfur batteries. This work opens up a way to develop chemical bonding-stabilized sulfur materials for stable and high-energy lithium sulfur batteries.