Carbon Nanofiber Framework Research Articles

Multifunctional bacterial cellulose‑derived carbon hybrid aerogel for ultrabroad microwave absorption and thermal insulation

Carbon aerogel has gained intense attention as one of the most promising microwave absorption materials. It can overcome severe electromagnetic pollution, thanks to its 3D macroscopic structure and superb conductive loss capacity. However, there is still a big challenge to endow multifunctionality to carbon aerogel while maintaining its good electromagnetic wave absorption (EWA) so as to adapt wide practical application. Herein, a novel carbon-based aerogel consisting of Cu and TiO2 nanoparticles dispersed on carbon nanofiber framework was derived from carbonized bacterial cellulose (CBC) decorated with its mother bacteria via freeze-drying, in situ growth and carbonization strategies. The synthesized carbon-based CBC/Cu/TiO2 aerogel achieved an excellent EWA performance with a broad effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) of 8.32 GHz. It is attributed to the synergistic loss mechanism from multiple scattering, conductive network loss, interfacial polarization loss and dipolar polarization relaxation. Meanwhile, the obtained aerogel also shows an excellent thermal insulation with a 3-mm-thick sample generating a temperature gradient of over 42 °C at 85 °C and a maximum radar cross-section (RCS) reduction of 23.88 dB m2 owing to the cellular structure and synergistic effects of multi-components. Therefore, this study proposes a feasible design approach for creating lightweight, effective, and multifunctional CBC-based EWA materials, which offer a new platform to develop ultrabroad electromagnetic wave absorber under the guidance of RCS simulation.

GeO2 Nanoparticles Decorated in Amorphous Carbon Nanofiber Framework as Highly Reversible Lithium Storage Anode.

Germanium oxide (GeO2) is a high theoretical capacity electrode material due to its alloying and conversion reaction. However, the actual cycling capacity is rather poor on account of suffering low electron/ion conductivity, enormous volume change and agglomeration in the repeated lithiation/delithiation process, which renders quite a low reversible electrochemical lithium storage reaction. In this work, highly amorphous GeO2 particles are uniformly distributed in the carbon nanofiber framework, and the amorphous carbon nanofiber not only improves the conduction and buffers the volume changes but also prevents active material agglomeration. As a result, the present GeO2 and carbon composite electrode exhibits highly reversible alloying and conversion processes during the whole cycling process. The two reversible electrochemical reactions are verified by differential capacity curves and cyclic voltammetry measurements during the whole cycling process. The corresponding reversible capacity is 747 mAh g-1 after 300 cycles at a current density of 0.3 A g-1. The related reversible capacities are 933, 672, 487 and 302 mAh g-1 at current densities of 0.2, 0.4, 0.8 and 1.6 A g-1, respectively. The simple strategy for the design of amorphous GeO2/carbon composites enables potential application for high-performance LIBs.

Copper Oxide Decorated Carbon Nanofiber Skeleton for Dendrite‐Free Lithium‐Metal Anodes

AbstractLithium metal, possessing a high theoretical capacity, holds great promise as a desirable anode candidate for the next‐generation high energy density lithium batteries. However, the practical implementation of lithium metal faces significant challenges, including dendrite growth and volume expansion. Herein, a carbon nanofiber (CNF) three‐dimensional (3D) current collector was developed, complemented by the addition of copper oxide nanoparticles to the CNF framework, resulting in the creation of a lithiophilic 3D current collector known as CuO‐CNF. Subsequently, a 3D lithium metal composite anode (CuO‐CNF−Li) was fabricated through an electrochemical plating process. The utilization of a 3D structure based on carbon nanofibers provides sufficient space and a stable framework for lithium ion plating, effectively accommodating the substantial volume changes that occur during repetitive Li plating and stripping. The copper oxide nanoparticles loaded onto the CNF serve as active sites for lithium nucleation, facilitating an ordered and uniform plating/stripping process of lithium ions, thereby preventing dendrite formation. Consequently, the CuO‐CNF current collector enables dendrite‐free Li plating/stripping with an average Coulomb efficiency of up to 99 % and a low nucleation overpotential of only 15 mV. Moreover, symmetric cell tests demonstrated an extended lifespan of 2700 h at 2 mA cm−2 for the CuO‐CNF−Li composite anode.

3D Sb‐Based Composite Framework with Gradient Sodiophilicity for Ultrastable Sodium Metal Anodes

AbstractSodium (Na) dendrites, as the ringleader for triggering safety concerns, have restricted the practical application of sodium metal batteries (SMBs). The fundamental reason is due to the high activity of Na metal anodes, which can continuously induce the interfacial side reactions and Na dendrites growth, resulting in rapid capacity deterioration, low Coulombic efficiency, and even internal short‐circuit. In order to enhance the safety and stability of SMBs, a flexible 3D hollow porous carbon nanofiber framework embedded with Sb nanoparticles (Sb@HPCNF) is reported by integrating interface chemistry and structural engineering. The 3D Sb@HPCNF framework with gradient sodiophilicity can maintain highly reversible Na plating–stripping cycles at 5 mA cm−2 for >550 h and possesses a low overpotential of 24 mV. In addition, the full‐cells using Na3V2(PO4)3 cathode and Sb@HPCNF‐Na anode exhibit impressive long‐term cycling stability and excellent high‐rate performance. This study provides a new insight on constructing functionalized 3D composite framework with gradient sodiophilicity toward next‐generation high‐safety and high‐energy SMBs.

Nitrogen‐doped Porous Carbon Nanofibers Decorated with Nickel Nanoparticles for Unlocking Low‐cost Structural Lithium Metal Anodes

AbstractLithium metal anode has received increasing attention. However, safety issues arising from lithium dendrite growth have limited the commercialization of lithium metal anodes. Herein, a porous carbon nanofiber framework decorated with nickel nanoparticles was designed as a 3D conductive host by simple electrospinning technique to solve the above problem. Uniformly dispersed nickel nanoparticles on N‐doped carbon fibers can expose more active sites to trap lithium ions. The design of the Ni/N co‐doping structure can effectively improve its lithiophilicity. In addition, the 3D porous conductive structure facilitates electron transport and can effectively decrease the local current density to suppress the formation and generation of lithium dendrites. The combined results of experiments and density functional theory calculations show that carbon nanofibers decorated with Ni nanoparticles have stronger adsorption ability for lithium, thus resulting in more uniform plating. This work provides inspiration for designing low‐cost and dendrite‐free structural lithium metal anode hosts.

Carbon nanofiber frameworks for Li metal batteries: the synergistic effect of conductivity and lithiophilic-sites

The utilization of carbon framework to guide the growth of the Li dendrites is an important theme for Li metal batteries. The conductivity and electronegative sites of carbon materials will greatly affect the nucleation of Li metal. However, how much these two contributing factors affect the Li plating/stripping stability should be considered. This work presents N, O doped carbon nanofiber framework (CNF) membrane as the interlayer for protecting the Li anode. The amounts of N and O elements and their ratios, the conductivity, the thickness of CNF membrane and their effects on the Li plating/stripping process have been fully analyzed. The voltage profile and the stability of Li plating/stripping process are evaluated by symmetric and asymmetrical coin cells. The lithiophilic heteroatom doped surface mainly works as an excellent guide during the Li plating process, whereas the conductivity and mechanical stability of CNF equalize the current density and confine the volume change in during cycling. With the optimized CNF membrane as the interlayer, both Li metal and Li–S full cells exhibit good capacity properties and cyclic stability.

Molecular Bridging Enables Isolated Iron Atoms on Stereoassembled Carbon Framework To Boost Oxygen Reduction for Zinc-Air Batteries.

Realizing the synergy between active site regulation and rational structural engineering is essential in the electrocatalysis community but still challenging. Here, a matrix-confined co-pyrolysis strategy based on molecular bridging is demonstrated to realize highly dispersed Fe atoms on stereoassembled carbon framework. Both polyacrylonitrile matrix and organic linker from metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) provide sufficient N-anchoring sites for the generation of Fe-N4 moieties. A high Fe loading of 2.9 wt.% is readily achieved based on the scalable approach without post-treatment. Owing to the presence of highly exposed Fe-N-C sites and well-tuned pore structures, isolated Fe atoms on porous carbon nanofiber framework (Fe-SA/NCF) exhibits decent oxygen reduction activity and stability in alkaline conditions via a near four-electron path, demonstrating superior performance as air cathode for zinc-air batteries (ZABs) to commercial Pt/C catalyst.

Dendrite-free Zn anode supported with 3D carbon nanofiber skeleton towards stable zinc ion batteries

Zn-ion battery (ZIB) is a promising electrochemical energy storage device because of the high performance, safety, and economic benefits, etc. However, the formation of Zn dendrites at anodes is seriously depressed their cycling life, Coulombic efficiency, safety, and capacity. Inhibition of Zn dendrites is considered as an efficient solution to improving the performance of ZIB. Herein, we demonstrate a 3D structured Zn anode coated in carbon nanofiber framework with carbon cloth as substrate (Zn@CC-CNF), which has the abundant Zn nucleation sites and homogeneous electrical field distribution for uniform Zn deposition, low nucleation/deposition energy barrier, and the capacity of alleviating side reactions. Thus, the Zn@CC-CNF based symmetric cells is stability operated over 400 h, which is over 400% longer than that of bare Zn coated on carbon cloth (Zn@CC). The impressive performance of the Zn@CC-CNF anode also endows the assembled Zn-MnO2 full cell with long-term cycling stability. Better yet, the intrinsic flexibility of the carbon substrate enables the fabrication of flexible Zn-MnO2 cell with gratifying mechanical deformation tolerance, illustrating their great application potential in flexible energy storage.

How Is Cycle Life of Three-Dimensional Zinc Metal Anodes with Carbon Fiber Backbones Affected by Depth of Discharge and Current Density in Zinc-Ion Batteries?

Zinc (Zn) metal is an attractive anode material for aqueous Zn-ion batteries (ZIBs). Three-dimensional (3D) carbon frameworks may serve as lightweight and robust hosts to enable porous Zn electrodes with a long cycle life. However, Zn electrode tests under a low depth of discharge (DOD) and current density often yield unreliable promises. We used 3D Zn electrodes with carbon nanofiber framework (CNF) backbones (Zn@CNF) as model electrodes to reveal how DOD and current density affect their performance. Plasma-treated CNFs provide sufficient surface hydrophilicity and surface area to allow uniform Zn plating/stripping of a thin and uniform Zn coating (5 mAh cm-2). CNFs only take a small weight fraction (17.5-19.7 wt. %) in the composite electrodes. The 3D structure and graphitic surface efficiently suppress dendrite growth. The cycle life of Zn@CNF can reach 843 h under 10% DOD and 0.5 mA cm-2 in symmetric cells. However, high DOD and current density are detrimental to the stability of 3D Zn electrodes. The cycle life drops to 60.75 h under 60% DOD and 4 mA cm-2. Full cells assembled using Zn@CNF as anodes and V2O5 as cathodes with an N/P capacity ratio of 2.4 delivered a capacity of 133.4 mAh g-1 at 0.1 A g-1. The full cells also showed excellent capacity retention of 92.1% after 260 cycles under 0.5 A g-1 with a high average DODZn of 15.5%. Our results suggest that 3D Zn electrodes with CNF backbones are promising anodes for ZIBs. Studying Zn metal electrodes under practical DOD and current density is essential to access their potential accurately.

Homogeneous electric field and Li+ flux regulation in three-dimensional nanofibrous composite framework for ultra-long-life lithium metal anode

Lithium (Li) metal is considered as the best anode candidate for next-generation high-energy batteries due to its ultralow electrochemical potential and extremely high theoretical capacity. However, issues arising from the undesired growth of lithium dendrites and infinite volumetric change have seriously hindered the practical application of lithium metal batteries (LMBs). Here, we designed a super-lithiophilic amorphous zinc oxide-doped carbon nanofiber framework with uniformly-distributed and parallel multichannels (MCCNF@ZnO) to achieve the homogeneous distribution of electric field and Li+ flux. By the assistances of COMSOL Multiphysics simulations and ex-situ scanning electron microscopy, we reveal that the Li metal preferentially deposits into the porous nanochannels inside the nanofibers, followed by its even distribution on the lithiophilic surface of MCCNF@ZnO. Furthermore, the conductive multichannels of the carbon nanofiber skeleton can effectively minimize the partial current density, thereby effectively avoiding the electrochemical polarization and assisting the uniform metallic deposition. As a result, MCCNF@ZnO exhibits a stable CE over 99.2% as the substrate after 500 cycles at the current density of 1 mA cm−2. The symmetrical cell of lithium-loaded MCCNF@ZnO composite electrodes can stably operate over 3300 h at 0.5 mA cm−2, indicating the great potential of MCCNF@ZnO for stabilizing lithium metal anodes in practical applications of LMBs.

Corrosion assisted the formation of unique structure transition metal oxides/carbon nanofibers with fast and high lithium storage

In this work, a facile and universal synthetic strategy is proposed to synthesize carbon nanofibers/ transition metal oxide composites with a three-dimensional cross-linked structure. The character of its morphology is the carbon nanofiber framework, based on which transition metal oxide nanoparticles and nanosheets (nanoparticles, nanoneedles) can be compounded inside and outside the nanofiber, respectively. The synthesis of this special morphology is achieved by electrospinning, heat treatment, and corrosion. By using this method, a series of hybrid materials including Co3O4/C nanofibers @ Co3O4 nanosheets (Co3O4/CFs @ Co3O4), ZnO/C nanofibers @ ZnO nanoparticles (ZnO/CFs @ ZnO), and CuO/C nanofibers @ CuO nanoneedles (CuO/CFs @ CuO) can be successfully synthesized. The capacity of Co3O4/CFs @ Co3O4 can reach 842.4 mAh g−1 after 150 cycles, and ZnO/CFs @ ZnO and CuO/CFs @ CuO also show well cycle stability and high specific capacity as 650 mAh g−1 and 544 mAh g−1 after 600 cycles at 1 A g−1. This work can inspire the research of carbon nanofibers framework composite transition metal oxide nanostructure materials for outstanding lithium storage.

Metal oxide heterostructure decorated carbon nanofiber as a novel redox catalyst for high performance Lithium-Sulfur batteries

Lithium-sulfur batteries (LSBs) are the promising next-generation energy storage devices; however, the uncontrolled shuttle effect and sluggish redox kinetics severely hinder their commercial success. To solve these barriers, herein, a heterostructure constructed from CoFe2O4 and SnO2 decorated over the carbon nanofiber framework (CoFe@SnCNF) is reported as a sulfur redox catalyst in the cathode of LSB. A synergism between the multiple adsorptive and catalytic sites of the heterostructure enables an efficient lithium polysulfide (LiPS) entrapment and expedites their conversion, meanwhile the carbon nanofiber framework provides a long-range electrical conduction. Based on these merits, the CoFe@SnCNF integrated sulfur cathode with an areal sulfur loading of ~ 2.2 mg cm−2 retained 71.1 % of initial capacity after 100 cycles at 0.2 C, and showed excellent cyclability with a capacity fading rate of only 0.11 % over 200 cycles at 0.5 C. Even under a raised sulfur loading of 5.3 mg cm−2, the cathode still showed an impressive performance with an initial capacity of 442.3 mAh g−1 that retained 78.1 % after 80 cycles. The findings of this work shed light on the feasibility for further development of novel heterostructure by synergistically coupling various polysulfide adsorbing and catalyzing materials.

Multi-scale uniform Li regulation triggered by tunable electric field distribution on oxygen-functionalized porous framework for flexible Li-S full batteries

Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries with high theoretical energy densities have long been identified a promising energy storage system. Nonetheless, it is not trivial to simultaneously achieve dendrite-free lithium metal anode and stable sulfur cathode for practical applications. To tackle this issue, we herein design an oxygen-functionalized mesoporous carbon nanofiber framework decorated with well-distributed nickel nanoparticles as bifunctional hosts for both electrodes. The combined theoretical and experimental results reveal that the regulated electric field stemming from the oxygenated and mesoporous structure can effectively facilitate the uniform nucleation and growth of dendrite-free Li metal in local nanofiber and whole electrode levels. Meanwhile, the strong affiliation of oxygenated groups to lithium polysulfides greatly alleviate the shuttle effect, leading to impressive cyclic stability. When coupling above optimal electrodes into a flexible Li-S full battery with an ultralow negative to positive capacity ratio of 2.0, the new battery presents remarkable electrochemical performance with a high rate capability of 882 mAh g−1 at 2.0 C and an extremely low capacity decay rate of 0.005% per cycle over 300 cycles. The stable electrochemical performance exhibited by a flexible Li-S battery under different mechanical deformations paves the way for future practical applications in flexible energy storage devices based on the bifunctional hosts.

Encapsulation of Na3(VO)2(PO4)2F into carbon nanofiber as an superior cathode material for flexible sodium-ion capacitors with high-energy-density and low-self-discharge

As a member of Na-super-ionic conductor (NASICON) family, Na3(VO)2(PO4)2F (NVPF) is reported to possess higher redox potential and larger specific capacity than its analogue Na3V2(PO4)3 (NVP). However, the rate and cycling performance of NVPF is significantly lower than that of NVP. Moreover, almost reported NVPF materials are bulk-type powders, which can not satisfy the requirement of flexible energy-storage devices. Herein, NVPF nanoparticles are uniformly encapsulated into the carbon nanofiber (CNF) by a simple electrospinning & annealing strategy. In the CNF@NVPF architecture, the CNF framework can provide structurally stable hosts for fast Na+ extraction/insertion and effective electron-transport channels. As a result, mechanical flexibility (multiple bending, rolling and twisting) and high Na-storage properties such as superior rate capability (20C) and high cycle stability (96% retention after 2000 cycles), are achieved. By employing CNF@NVPF as the battery-type cathode and ZnO-activated porous carbon nanofiber (pCNF) as the capacitor-type anode, a novel sodium-ion capacitor (SIC) is constructed with both high energy and powder densities (182.8 Wh kg−1 at 340 W kg−1 and 85.3 Wh kg−1 at 5898 W kg−1 based on the total mass of both electrodes), apparently superior to recently SIC counterparts in literature. Furthermore, the satisfactory mechanical flexibility and the low self-discharge rate are demonstrated in the pouch cell.

Nanosized α-MnS homogenously embedded in axial multichannel carbon nanofibers as freestanding electrodes for lithium-ion batteries

To buffer the unavoidable volume expansion and structure collapse problems of transitional metal sulfides during lithiation process, herein, nanosized α-MnS homogenously embedded in axial multichannel carbon nanofibers was well designed and directly used as freestanding anodes for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). The obtained carbon nanofibers were interwoven into a flexible and cross-linked film, which offered a 3D successive conductive networks and guaranteed sufficient contact interface for electrode/electrolyte. The nanosized α-MnS was homogenously embedded into the carbon nanofiber framework and surrounded with a thin protective carbon layer, which effectively maintained the structural integrity for a satisfied cycling performance. The high aspect ratio carbon nanofibers with axial open channels supplied sufficient active sites and formed long-range electronic pathways along the axial carbon wall. Meanwhile, the radial voids provided enormous accommodation space to alleviate volume expansion and shortened diffusion paths for faster ionic transfer. Benefitting from the above unique merits, the freestanding electrodes delivered excellent lithium storage performances and remarkable long-term cycling stability, including a high initial reversible capacity of 772 mAh g−1 and excellent cycling capacity retention of 93.4% after 100 cycles at a current density of 0.5 A g−1.

Electrospun SnSe/C nanofibers as binder-free anode for lithium–ion and sodium-ion batteries

The design of electrodes with superior mechanical flexibility is the key to developing energy storage devices with mechanical durability and excellent electrochemical performance. Herein, a flexible SnSe/C nanofiber membrane is successfully synthesized by electrospinning technology and subsequent calcination. From the macroscopic view, the SnSe/C nanofiber membrane can tolerate a bending angle of 180° without any breakage, indicating its superior mechanical flexibility. From the microscopic view, SnSe nanoparticles are uniformly distributed along the carbon nanofiber framework. The carbon nanofiber framework serves not only as a conductive matrix that improves the electrical conductivity of the composite, but also as a buffer material that alleviates the volume expansion during electrochemical reaction. These merits endow excellent electrochemical performance to SnSe/C nanofibers when used as a binder-free and current collector-free anode for lithium/sodium ion batteries. The SnSe/C nanofiber anode delivers a stable discharge capacity of 405 mAh g−1 at 1000 mA g−1 after 500 cycles in lithium ion battery and 290 mAh g−1 at 200 mA g−1 after 200 cycles in sodium ion battery. These results demonstrate that the SnSe/C nanofiber is a promising anode material for flexible lithium-ion and sodium-ion batteries.

Gradient-Distributed Nucleation Seeds on Conductive Host for a Dendrite-Free and High-Rate Lithium Metal Anode.

Much attention is paid to metal lithium as a hopeful negative material for reversible batteries with a high specific capacity. Although applying 3D hosts can relieve the dendrite growth to some extent, gradient-distributed lithium ion in 3D uniform hosts still induces uncontrolled lithium dendrites growth, especially at high lithium capacity and high current density. Herein, a 3D conductive carbon nanofiber framework with gradient-distributed ZnO particles as nucleation seeds (G-CNF) to regulate lithium deposition is proposed. Based on such a unique structure, the G-CNF electrode exhibits a high average Coulombic efficiency (CE) of 98.1% for 700 cycles at 0.5 mA cm-2 . Even at 5 mA cm-2 , the G-CNF electrode performs a stable cycling process and high CE of 96.0% for over 200 cycles. When the lithium-deposited G-CNF (G-CNF-Li) anode is applied in a full cell with a commercial LiFePO4 cathode, it exhibits a stable capacity of 115 mAh g-1 and high retention of 95.7% after 300 cycles. Through inducing the gradient-distributed nucleation seeds to counter the existing Li-ion concentration polarization, a uniform and stable lithium deposition process in the 3D host is achieved even under the condition of high current density.

CoS-interposed and Ketjen black-embedded carbon nanofiber framework as a separator modulation for high performance Li-S batteries

Lithium sulfur batteries are regarded as the promising energy storage device for its high energy density (theoretical: ∼2600 Wh kg−1). In addition, the low cost of sulfur and its small impacts on the environment also arise tremendous interests of industries and governments. However, lithium sulfur batteries are still severely plagued by the free migration of intermediary polysulfides, which are the roots of lithium sulfur batteries' challenges. Besides various cathode design, carbon-based modification layers on the separator are also developed to enhance the electrochemical performance of the lithium sulfur batteries. In this study, carbon nanofiber/CoS/Ketjen black is successfully integrated on the commercial separator as an effective polysulfide blocker. It is demonstrated that the cell with a carbon nanofiber/CoS/Ketjen black-modified separator and high sulfur content (70 wt%) cathode can exhibit excellent stability with a capacity decay of 0.076% per cycle for more than 700 cycles under 1.0 C current density. Especially, the robust and flexible coating strategy can greatly expand the range of materials available to be integrated on the commercial separator.

Highly Dispersed Mn–Ce Binary Metal Oxides Supported on Carbon Nanofibers for Hg0 Removal from Coal-Fired Flue Gas

Highly dispersed Mn–Ce binary metal oxides supported on carbon nanofibers (MnOx–CeO2/CNFs(OX)) were prepared for Hg0 removal from coal-fired flue gas. The loading value of the well-dispersed MnOx–CeO2 was much higher than those of many other reported supports, indicating that more active sites were loaded on the carbon nanofibers. In the present study, 30 wt % metal oxides (15 wt % MnOx and 15 wt % CeO2) were successfully deposited on the carbon nanofibers, and the sorbent yielded the highest Hg0 removal efficiency (>90%) within 120–220 °C under a N2/O2 atmosphere. An increase in the amount of highly dispersed metal oxides provided abundant active species for efficient Hg0 removal, such as active oxygen species and Mn4+ cations. Meanwhile, the carbon nanofiber framework provides the pathway for charge transfer during the heterogeneous Hg0 capture reaction processes. Under a N2+6%O2 atmosphere, a majority of Hg0 was removed via chemisorption reactions. The effects of flue gas composition were also investigated. O2 replenished the active oxygen species on the surface and thus greatly promoted the Hg0 removal efficiency. SO2 had an inhibitory effect on Hg0 removal, but NO facilitated Hg0 capture performance. Overall, carbon nanofibers seems to be a good candidate for the support and MnOx–CeO2/CNFs(OX) may be promising for Hg0 removal from coal-fired flue gas.

A polysulfide-trapping interlayer constructed by boron and nitrogen co-doped carbon nanofibers for long-life lithium sulfur batteries

The shuttle effect of soluble lithium polysulfides (LiPSs) and their insoluble reduction products (Li2S/Li2S2) depositing on the surface of lithium anode are the major drawbacks for the practical application of lithium sulfur (Li-S) batteries. In this work, a thin and light interlayer constructed by boron and nitrogen co-doped carbon nanofibers (BNCNF) has been produced by a facile electrospinning method with following thermal treatment. Through introducing BNCNF film between cathode and separator, the charge transfer resistance decreases largely and the shuttle effect remits to a great extent. The BNCNF exhibits excellent absorption ability for polysulfides under the role of the B⋯S and N⋯Li chemical interaction, and especially the formation of N=B/N-B structure in the carbon nanofiber framework reinforces the electropositive interaction between B atoms and Sx2− and the electronegative interaction between N atoms and Li+ cation, simultaneously. The capacity and cycling life of Li-S batteries are improved significantly due to the BNCNF interlayer. The cell with BNCNF interlayer delivered an initial capacity of 1054.7mAhg−1 at 1.0C over 1000cycles with a decay rate of 0.058%. And even at high current density of 5.0C, it had an initial capacity of 612.2mAhg−1 over 600cycles with a decay rate of 0.085%. The BNCNF interlayer developed here provides a promising methodology to enhance the performance of Li-S batteries.