Lithium-sulfur (Li–S) batteries are hailed as next-generation energy storage stars, boasting an ultra-high theoretical energy density (2600 Wh kg -1 ) and low cost. Yet, two critical bottlenecks—the shuttle effect of lithium polysulfides (LiPSs) and slow sulfur conversion kinetics—cause rapid capacity decay, holding back their commercialization. Now, a team led by Professors Xuebin Wang and Shaochun Tang from Nanjing University has published a breakthrough in Nano-Micro Letters , introducing a novel “heteroatoms synergistic anchoring vacancies” strategy. This innovation creates phosphorus-doped CoSe 2 with rich selenium vacancies (P-CS-Vo-0.5), resolving the long-standing “activity-stability trade-off” of catalysts and enabling Li–S batteries with exceptional performance.
Why This Catalyst Fixes Li–S Battery Woes
Traditional Li–S battery catalysts (e.g., pure CoSe 2 ) struggle to balance two key needs: strong LiPS adsorption (to suppress shuttling) and fast conversion kinetics (to boost capacity). Vacancy engineering—adding selenium vacancies (Vo) to CoSe 2 —enhances activity by creating more active sites, but excess or unstable vacancies cause structural collapse and rapid deactivation. The Nanjing University team’s solution addresses this with precision:
Core Innovation: How P-CS-Vo-0.5 Is Made
The team’s synthesis process is simple yet precise, ensuring uniform vacancies and stable P doping:
Li–S Battery Performance: Ultra-High Capacity & Long Life
When integrated into a Li–S battery separator, P-CS-Vo-0.5 delivers remarkable results:
Future Impact: A New Path for Energy Storage
This work isn’t just a win for Li–S batteries—it provides a general strategy for designing stable, high-activity catalysts. By tuning local atomic environments (vacancies+ heteroatom doping), the team has opened doors to better catalysts for other energy systems, such as fuel cells and metal-air batteries. For Li–S batteries specifically, P-CS-Vo-0.5 brings commercialization closer: it addresses the core shuttle and kinetics issues while using low-cost, scalable materials.
As the global demand for high-energy, long-life batteries grows (for electric vehicles, grid storage, and portable electronics), innovations like P-CS-Vo-0.5 are critical. The Nanjing University team’s “heteroatoms synergistic anchoring” strategy proves that precision engineering—balancing activity and stability at the atomic level—is the key to next-generation energy storage.
Nano-Micro Letters
Experimental study
Heteroatoms Synergistic Anchoring Vacancies in Phosphorus-Doped CoSe2 Enable Ultrahigh Activity and Stability in Li–S Batteries
23-Jun-2025