Metal Sulfide Nanoparticles Research Articles

Acidophilic sulphate-reducing bacteria: Diversity, ecophysiology, and applications.

Acidophilic sulphate-reducing bacteria (aSRB) are widespread anaerobic microorganisms that perform dissimilatory sulphate reduction and have key adaptations to tolerate acidic environments (pH <5.0), such as proton impermeability and Donnan potential. This diverse prokaryotic group is of interest from physiological, ecological, and applicational viewpoints. In this review, we summarize the interactions between aSRB and other microbial guilds, such as syntrophy, and their roles in the biogeochemical cycling of sulphur, iron, carbon, and other elements. We discuss the biotechnological applications of aSRB in treating acid mine drainage (AMD, pH <3), focusing on their ability to produce biogenic sulphide and precipitate metals, particularly in the context of utilizing microbial consortia instead of pure isolates. Metal sulphide nanoparticles recovered after AMD treatment have multiple potential technological uses, including in electronics and biomedicine, contributing to a cost-effective circular economy. The products of aSRB metabolisms, such as biominerals and isotopes, could also serve as biosignatures to understand ancient and extant microbial life in the universe. Overall, aSRB are active components of the sulphur and carbon cycles under acidic conditions, with potential natural and technological implications for the world around us.

Photo Electrocatalytic Water Splitting Using Sn Doped In2S3 Homologous Series Synthesized in Oxygen Deficient Flame

AbstractThe innovative development of reactive‐spray systems for gas‐phase production of metal sulfides are potential materials for next‐generation technologies. These flame‐synthesized sulfides (doped, functionalized, and heterogeneously mixed derivatives) hold significant potential as photocatalysts for water splitting. The knowledge acquired from nonaqueous precursor‐solvent and high‐temperature aerosol chemistries, optimal process parameters are established to generate In2‐(4/3)xSnxS3, solid‐solutions. The thermally driven reducing gas‐phase reactions are controlled through fuel/oxygen ratio. Particles characterizations (X‐ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and imaging) revealed structural stability and crystallinity. The In2‐(4/3)xSnxS3, at higher Sn doping had enhanced photoexcitation. Donor‐acceptor levels within the material facilitated electron‐hole pair trapping, crucial for redox reactions. With suitable band gap energies for water oxidation (1.91.1 eV) closely matched flat band potentials (4.384.67 eV) for redox reactions. The powder characterization showed 8% In2O3 in InSn0.75S3 after photocatalysis due to S‐degradation in the initial light “on/off cycles”. The pioneering process of employing oxygen‐deficient reducing flame enabled a series of photo‐catalytically active metal sulfide nanoparticles with work function energies in the range of 5.195.37 eV. This synthesis strategy holds the potential for impactful advancements in both industry and R&amp;D, addressing the urgent need for new materials capable of inducing water oxidation under visible light.

In situ-grown nitrogen-sulfur co-doped carbon nanotubes encapsulated with FeS particles as cathode materials for zinc-air batteries

Transition metal sulfides as ideal oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalysts have great potential to regulate multiple reaction pathways and understand their corresponding internal reaction mechanisms at cathode in zinc-air batteries (ZABS), effectively. This work adopted a facile one-pot synthesis method based on chemical vapor deposition (CVD), which utilizes the synergistic effect of zeolite imidazolium ester skeleton (ZIF-8) and polypyrrole (PPY) to grow nitrogen-sulfur co-doped carbon nanotubes (NS-CNT) in the shape of colonic with a relatively uniform size and encapsulated with FeS nanoparticles as the main active sites. The synthesized purpose catalyst noted as FeS-NS-CNT-900, in which that the FeS nanoparticles were tightly encapsulated in carbon nanotubes, and this special structure ensures that the FeS particles do not detach during the reaction, thus greatly enhancing their electrochemical activity and stability. As expected, the FeS-NS-CNT-900 catalyst exhibited a half-wave potential of 0.877 V which is higher than that of commercial platinum charcoal (0.847 V), at 0.1 mol KOH. More importantly, the formation of abundant FeS catalytic active sites, the optimal conditions for NS-CNT growth, and the covered mechanisms of the enhanced ORR reaction activity of FeS-NS-CNT-900 were thoroughly investigated. Additionally, whileFeS-NS-CNT-900 was used as an air cathode material for the assembly of a zinc-air battery, it exhibited a peak power density and specific capacity of 123 mW cm−2 and 785.81 mA h g−1, respectively, which were significantly better than that of platinum-carbon cathode (92.8 mW cm−2 and 740.4 mA h g−1). And surprisingly, the battery with FeS-NS-CNT-900 cathode exhibited (delivered/showed) a high cycle stability of 260 h at 5 mA cm−2. Conclusively, present work provides a feasible method for in situ growth of sulfur and nitrogen co-doped carbon nanotube encapsulated transition metal sulfide nanoparticle catalysts, which may pave a new avenue for the preparation of high ORR performance air cathode material for ZABS.

Modulating electron structure of active sites in high-entropy metal sulfide nanoparticles with greatly improved electrocatalytic performance for oxygen evolution reaction

Excellent oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrocatalysts hold paramount significance for related clean energy conversion technologies. High-entropy materials have garnered significant interests because of their novel structures and unprecedented potentials in application. Herein, we successfully prepared a high-entropy metal sulfide catalyst, specifically (FeCoNiMnMo)Sx, through a facile method. The resulting catalyst exhibited a phase similar to CoS2 and its electrocatalytic activity was rigorously evaluated as an OER catalyst in 1 M KOH. Endowed by the synergistic effect and the modulation of electronic structures among the various metals, the (FeCoNiMnMo)Sx catalyst demonstrated exceptional water oxidation performances. Notably, it required only 290 mV of overpotential to reach 10 mA cm−2. This remarkable performance underscores the effectiveness of high-entropy sulfides as electrocatalysts. The present work supplied a new successful example for exploring the vast potential of high-entropy materials in electrocatalysis and other related fields.

Ultra-stable electrocatalysts for overall urea degradation by NiFeCoZn–S modified N-doped carbon

Urea degradation is a viable method to produce hydrogen in a sustainable way, while having an important place in environmental protection and energy security. In this work, ultrathin N-doped carbon (NC) nanosheets, modified by ultrafine multiple transition metal sulfide (NiFeCoZn–S) nanoparticles, are synthesized to serve as electrocatalysts for overall urea degradation. This unique structure allows NiFeCoZn–S/NC to have a relatively large ECSA and active sites, stemming from the small dimensions of the NiFeCoZn–S particles and the hierarchical nanoarchitecture of the NC. Thus, NiFeCoZn–S/NC has a significant urea oxidation reaction (UOR) activity of 1.31 V at 10 mA cm−2 in an electrolyte consisting of 1.0 M KOH and 0.33 M urea. Furthermore, when the catalyst was used in an electrolytic cell for urea degradation, a potential of 1.49 V was achieved up to 10 mA cm−2. Additionally, the catalyst exhibits only a 6.1 % performance decay after 660 h of operation at 10 mA cm−2. Its exceptional stability outshines that of existing urea catalysts, rendering it an attractive prospect for future applications.

Disentangling Competitive and Synergistic Chemical Reactivities During the Seeded Growth of High-Entropy Alloys on High-Entropy Metal Sulfide Nanoparticles.

The seeded growth of one type of nanoparticle on the surface of another is foundational to synthesizing many multifunctional nanostructures. High-entropy nanoparticles that randomly incorporate five or more elements offer enhanced properties due to synergistic interactions. Incorporating high-entropy nanoparticles into seeded growth platforms is essential for merging their unique properties with the functional enhancements that arise from particle-particle interactions. However, the complex compositions of high-entropy materials complicate the seeded growth process due to competing particle growth and chemical reactivity pathways. Here, we design and synthesize a 36-member nanoparticle library to identify and disentangle these competitive interactions, ultimately defining chemical characteristics that underpin the seeded growth of high-entropy alloys on high-entropy metal sulfide nanoparticles. As a model system, we focus on (Cu,Zn,Co,In,Ga)S-SnPdPtRhIr, which combines a high-entropy metal sulfide semiconductor with a high-entropy alloy catalyst. We study the seeded growth of all possible pairwise combinations of Sn, Pd, Pt, Rh, Ir, and SnPdPtRhIr on the metal sulfides Cu1.8S, ZnS, Co9S8, CuInS2, CuGaS2, and (Cu,Zn,Co,In,Ga)S, which have comparable morphologies and sizes. Through these studies, we uncover unexpected chemical reactivities, including cation exchange, redox reactions, and diffusion. Reaction temperature, threshold reduction potentials, metal/sulfide chemical reactivity, and the relative strengths of the various bonds that could be formed during particle growth emerge as the primary factors that underpin seeded growth. Finally, we disentangle these competitive and synergistic chemical reactivities to generate a reactivity map that provides practical guidelines for achieving seeded growth in compositionally complex systems.

Revitalizing CO2 photoreduction: Fine-tuning electronic synergy in ultrathin g-C3N4 with amorphous (CoFeNiMnCu)S2 high-entropy sulfide nanoparticles for enhanced sustainability

Sustainability is a key issue in developing stable and efficient catalysts for solar-catalyzed CO2 conversion. The concept of structural stabilization by quenching the Gibbs free energy, which is achieved by increasing the configurational entropy level of the system, introduced high-entropy materials. However, because alloying immiscible multimetallic atoms into a unit system is still an arduous process, the potential of high-entropy materials has not yet been fully exploited. Surprisingly, although metal sulfide photocatalysts have an enviable reputation for CO2 photoreduction (CO2-PR) owing to their optical/electronic merits and more negative redox potential than other materials, the capability of high-entropy metal sulfides has been completely disregarded. Herein, an adaptable, self-templating metal alkoxide appropriately addresses the immiscibility of metallic constituents by the well-blended metal ions with polyalcohol in the metal glycerate. Consequently, (CoFeNiMnCu)S2 high-entropy metal sulfide nanoparticles (HEMS-Nps) were grown in situ on crossed ultrathin g-C3N4 (UCN) monolayers during the sulfidation of the metal glycerate. The as-synthesized HEMS-Np has a crystalline–amorphous structure, which is conducive to the acceleration of charge transfer to/from reaction sites, and a convincing orientation for CO2 adsorption. These features are combined with synergistic electronic multimetallic interactions, facilitating a heterogeneous valence electron distribution and atomic disorder. The CO2-PR power of the (CoFeNiMnCu)S2@UCN nanostructure was noticeable in realizing added-value products in both the liquid–solid (1063 µmol/g h of syngas and 250 µmol/g h of methane) and gas–solid phases (1883 µmol/cm2 h of syngas and 321 µmol/cm2 h of methane). To prove its utility, long-term and corresponding time-equivalent cycling experiments were conducted, demonstrating a highly stable system that endured for a long time. Overall, this approach simultaneously exploits the advantages of sulfide-based materials and high-entropy materials in stable structures to generate sustainable CO2-PR materials.

Intercalating Organic Hybrid Cadmium Antimony Sulfide Nanoparticles into Graphene Oxide Nanosheets for Electrochemical Lithium Storage.

Inorganic metal sulfides have received extensive investigation as anode materials in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). However, applications of crystalline organic hybrid metal sulfides as anode materials in LIBs are quite rare. In addition, combining the nanoparticles of crystalline organic hybrid metal sulfides with conductive materials is expected to enhance the electrochemical lithium storage performance. Nevertheless, due to the difficulty of harvesting the nanoparticles of crystalline organic hybrid metal sulfides, this approach has never been tried to date. Herein, nanoparticles of a crystalline organic hybrid cadmium antimony sulfide (1,4-DABH2)Cd2Sb2S6 (DCAS) were prepared by a top-down method, including the procedures of solvothermal synthesis, ball milling, and ultrasonic pulverization. Thereafter, the nanoparticles of DCAS with sizes of ∼500 nm were intercalated into graphene oxide nanosheets through a freeze-drying treatment and a DCAS@GO composite was obtained. Compared with the reported Sb2S3- and CdS-based composites, the DCAS@GO composite exhibited superior electrochemical Li+ ion storage performance, including a high capacity of 1075.6 mAh g-1 at 100 mA g-1 and exceptional rate tolerances (646.8 mAh g-1 at 5000 mA g-1). In addition, DCAS@GO can provide a high capacity of 705.6 mAh g-1 after 500 cycles at 1000 mA g-1. Our research offers a viable approach for preparing the nanoparticles of crystalline organic hybrid metal sulfides and proves that intercalating organic hybrid metal sulfide nanoparticles into GO nanosheets can efficiently boost the electrochemical Li+ ion storage performance.

Metal sulfide-decorated lamellar porous carbon framework hybrids for fast lithium storage with high volumetric capacity

Porous carbon nanosheets have shown great potential in electrochemical energy storage devices, yet their intrinsic limited volumetric capacity and energy density remain a great concern. Herein, lamellar porous carbon framework hybrids (LPCFHs) have been facilely developed by thermal-induced bulk self-assembly of block copolymers with precisely controllable molecular structure, followed by stepwise chemical crosslinking and morphology-persistent carbonization processes. The as-obtained LPCFHs consist of densely covalent connected alternate layers (porous carbon nanosheets and porous carbon spacers) and homogenously dispersed metal sulfide nanoparticles. The ordered compact stacking structure of carbon nanosheets endows LPCFHs with a high tap density and fast electron transfer both in lateral and vertical dimension, while the porous carbon spacers enable fast channels for ion transfer. Moreover, the metal sulfide nanoparticles strongly interacted with carbon nanosheets are homogenously distributed in LPCFHs, resulting in sufficient active sites. As a result, when used as anode materials in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), tin sulfide-decorated LPCFHs (LPCFHs-SnS) deliver a volumetric capacity of up to 1285 mAh cm−3; meanwhile, high-rate capability (488 mAh g−1 at 5 A g−1) and excellent cycling stability (capacity retention of 88.3 % after 500 cycles at 1 A g−1) are also achieved, demonstrating great potential for practical application in LIBs.

Synergistic promotion effects of MoS2 integrated transition metal sulfides nanoparticles towards efficient tetracycline destruction: Performance, mechanism and toxicity assessment

Construction of effective multi-component composite materials via architecture modulation to destruct antibiotic pollutants through activating peroxymonosulfate (PMS) remains a challenge. In this study, we report a two-step hydrothermal process to construct MoS2 nanosheets integrated with transition metal sulfide (CoS2, Cu2S and MnS) nanoparticles for activating PMS towards degrading emerging tetracycline (TC) antibiotic. Among the samples, CoS2@MoS2 is verified as the best PMS activator for TC destructing with a removal rate of 95.3% in 30 min. The CoS2@MoS2/PMS system also performs well under various reaction conditions. The dominant reactive oxygen species responsible for TC degradation is identified as 1O2. Furthermore, CoS2@MoS2-catalyzed PMS efficiently degrades TC into eleven intermediates via three possible pathways. The toxicity of these intermediates is evaluated, both in terms of acute/chronic toxicity and phytotoxicity. The presence of Mo4+ sites on the catalyst surface facilitates the rapid transfer of electrons from MoS2 to Co3+, promotes the regeneration of Co2+, and facilitates the redox cycle of Co3+/Co2+. Therefore, the synergistic effects between CoS2 and MoS2 are responsible for the efficient degradation of TC over the CoS2@MoS2/PMS system. This study establishes an architecture engineering strategy for preparing dual transition metal sulfides, which synergistically promote PMS activation towards the degradation of organic pollutants.

Construction of binary metal sulfide nanoparticles to boost catalytic activity for lithium-sulfur batteries

Lithium-sulfur batteries (LSBs) are considered viable options for the next generation of energy storage devices owing to their remarkable theoretical advantages.However, the further practical implementation the LSBs is hindered by certain challenges, including the shuttle effect and the slow reaction kinetics associated with soluble lithium polysulfides (LiPSs). Herein, Co9S8–MoS2/PC nanoparticles with a polyhedral structure are designed as effective host materials to tackle these challenges.The electrocatalysis activity of Co9S8–MoS2/PC nanoparticles can be maximized via tuning the ratio of metal ions in the precursor. The experimental results reveal that Co9S8–MoS2/PC nanoparticles could enhance the transfer of electrons and ions, reinforce the interaction with LiPSs, and accelerate the redox reaction kinetics of LiPSs. The LSBs with optimal S@Co9S8–MoS2/PC(5:1) cathode achieve an enhanced rate capability, a high specific capacity, and long cycle life with a capacity decay of 0.059 % per cycle over 500 cycles at 0.5C. This work demonstrates the great potential of binary metal sulfide nanoparticles for the effective conversion of LiPSs in LSBs.

A review: photocatalytic degradation of dyes by metal sulfide nanoparticles

A review: photocatalytic degradation of dyes by metal sulfide nanoparticles

Relation between Fluorescence Spectroscopy and Dynamic Light Scattering Revealed by Interaction of Transition Metal Sulfide Nanoparticles and Graphene Oxide

Relation between Fluorescence Spectroscopy and Dynamic Light Scattering Revealed by Interaction of Transition Metal Sulfide Nanoparticles and Graphene Oxide

Engineered praseodymium sulfide nanocarrier and supramolecular association of anticancer drug for effective delivery to breast cancer cells

Metal sulfide nanoparticles are synthesized for their biomedical applications, including cancer drug targeting. This paper reports a novel nanocomposite made of praseodymium sulfide nanoparticles and poly-cyclodextrin. The praseodymium sulfide nanoparticles were synthesized hydrothermal, autoclaving the nitrate precursors at 150 °C for 18 hours. The material is characterized using XRD and shows an orthorhombic crystal system with high crystallinity. The size and morphology of the nanomaterial were optimized. The material shows a rod-shaped morphology, as seen in the TEM image, with 150 ± 3 nm length and 25 ± 5 nm width. Particle size analysis supports this size range. The colloidal particles were stable in the aqueous medium without precipitation at neutral pH. The elements in the material in the polymer-coated form and their electronic states are studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Thermogravimetry confirms that the material contains about 18.5% of the weight of the polymer. The material has an observable magnetic property at room temperature due to the praseodymium element. The UV–vis–NIR absorption spectrum of the material shows a long absorption range that extends to 1200 nm. The drug 5-fluorouracil is encapsulated in the nanoparticles through host: guest association, and its release profile is analyzed. The release is modulated at a slightly acidic pH, indicating the pH-tunability. The nanoparticles and 5-fluorouracil were taken in the w/w ratio of 2:1 (2/1 mg in 1 mL of deionized water). Further, the in vitro anticancer activity of the drug-encapsulated material is screened on breast cancer and non-cancerous cell lines. The IC50 values are reported, and the advantageous properties of the material as drug carriers are discussed.

CuCo2S4 nanoparticles synthesized via a thermal decomposition approach: evaluation of their potential as peroxidase mimics.

The current study demonstrates the synthesis of CuCo2S4 nanoparticles using a novel thermal decomposition approach. The CuCo2S4 nanoparticles were synthesized under various conditions by changing the source of sulfur and the solvent. The CuCo2S4 nanoparticles were characterized using an array of analytical techniques. Powder XRD results indicate the successful formation of CuCo2S4 nanoparticles. TEM results show agglomerated nanoparticles with close to spherical morphology and XPS measurements indicate the presence of Cu2+, Cu+, Co3+, Co2+, and S2- in the samples. The CuCo2S4 nanoparticles exhibit weak ferromagnetic and paramagnetic behaviour at 5 K and 300 K, respectively. The CuCo2S4 nanoparticles were explored for their enzyme mimetic activity using 3,3',5,5' tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) as a substrate. They exhibit better catalytic activity compared to that of a natural enzyme (horseradish peroxidase) and other metal sulfide nanoparticles reported in the literature.

Characterization of silver sulfide nanoparticles from actinobacterial strain (M10A62) and its toxicity against lepidopteran and dipterans insect species

Abstract In this research, cell-free extracts from magnesite mine-isolated actinobacterial strain (M10A62) were used to produce silver sulfide nanoparticles (Ag2SNPs). Streptomyces minutiscleroticus JX905302, actinobacteria capable of producing Ag2SNPs, was used to synthesize Ag2NPs. The UV–vis range was used to confirm the biosynthesized Ag2NPs; Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), atomic force microscopy (AFM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDAX), and dynamic light scattering analysis were employed to characterize them further. Surface resonance plasma (SRP) for Ag2SNPs was obtained at 355 nm using UV–visible spectroscopy; FT-IR detected bimolecular and eventually microbial-reduced Ag2SNPs from S. minutiscleroticus culture extract. Furthermore, AFM and TEM analysis confirms that the synthesized Ag2SNPs were spherical in shape. Dynamic light scattering revealed a negatively charged Ag2NPs surface with a diameter of 10 nm. The XRD spectrum showed the crystalline nature of the obtained particles. EDAX revealed a pure crystalline nature, and a significant silver particle signal confirms the presence of metallic silver and sulfide nanoparticles together with the signals of Cu and C atoms. After 40 and 48 h of treatment at 150–200 µg·ml−1, Ag2SNPs produced the highest mortality in Spodoptera litura, H. armigera, Aedes aegypti, and Culex quinquefasciatus larvae. Hence, the biosynthesized Ag2SNPs may be useful for potential pest control in integrated pest management and vector control program as a safer, cost-effective, selective, and environmentally friendly approaches.

Controllable fabrication of FeCoS4 nanoparticles/S-doped bowl-shaped hollow carbon as efficient lithium storage anode

To address the low conductivity and easy agglomeration of transition metal sulfides nanoparticles, FeCoS4 nanoparticles embedded in S-doped hollow carbon (FeCoS4@S-HC) composites was successfully fabricated through a combination of hydrothermal process and sulfidation treatment. The unique bowl-shaped FeCoS4/S-HC composites exhibit excellent structural stability with high specific surface area of 303.7 m2·g–1 and pore volume of 0.93 cm3·g–1. When applied as anode material for lithium-ion batteries, the FeCoS4@S-HC anode exhibits efficient lithium storage with high reversible specific capacity (970.2 mA·h·g–1 at 100 mA·g–1) and enhanced cycling stability (574 mA·h·g–1 at 0.2 A·g–1 after 350 cycles, a capacity retention of 84%). The excellent lithium storage is attributed to that the bimetallic FeCoS4 nanoparticles with abundant active sites can accelerate the electrochemical reaction kinetics, the bowl-shaped S-HC structure can provide stable mechanical structure to suppress volume expansion.

Robust binary metal sulphide photocatalyst from design, characterization to photocatalytic application for the efficient degradation of Erichrome black tea

Among different types of organic wastes originating from the industrial sector, dyes constitute a major part due to their massive deployment and subsequent elimination. Erichrome Black T (EBT) dye is one of those days, which is incredibly detrimental to sentient (living) creatures due to its significant adverse health properties. Herein, we have focused on the photocatalytic degradation as an efficient process for EBT degradation by employing clean, renewable sources of energy (sunlight irradiations). In this regard, a novel photocatalyst was designed using binary metal sulfide nanoparticles. The solvothermal technique was used to effectively produce iron zinc sulfide nanoparticles (Fe2Zn3S5-NPs). The morphology of the obtained photocatalyst was confirmed by SEM findings, the Fe2Zn3S5-NPs were in the solid powdered form and had a shiny appearance. The average particle size was found to be 61.4 nm. Iron and zinc had noticeable peaks in the EDX spectrum, which corroborated the assertion that the nanoparticles had been fabricated. FTIR spectrum displayed the synthesis of Fe2Zn3S5-NPs functional groups. XRD analysis verified the hexagonal and crystalline structure of zinc and iron nanoparticles with an average crystallite size of 17.84 nm. The bandgap of Fe2Zn3S5-NPs was 1.9 eV using Tauc’s plot and Tauc’s equation. The Fe2Zn3S5-NPs exhibited a superior photocatalytic degradation rate of up to 98.01% for 50 ppm EBT concentration at a catalyst dosage of 0.1 g, pH 3, and for 1 h of solar light irradiation contact. EBT dye photodegraded in the presence of Fe2Zn3S5-NPs following the pseudo-first-order kinetics, and the Fe2Zn3S5-NPs efficiently degraded EBT dye over the course of four cycles, without a noticeable loss in its efficiency. The current study intends to design a novel binary metal sulfide nanoparticles for the efficient and complete removal of dyes from industrial effluents.

Hollow Structure Co1-xS/3D-Ti3C2Tx MXene Composite for Separator Modification of Lithium-Sulfur Batteries.

The commercial application of lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries has faced obstacles, including challenges related to low sulfur utilization, structural degradation resulting from electrode volume expansion, and migration of polysulfide lithium (LiPSs). Herein, Co1-xS/3D-Ti3C2Tx composites with three-dimensional (3D) multilayered structures are used as separator modification materials for Li-S batteries to solve these problems. The multilevel layered structure of Co1-xS/3D-Ti3C2Tx establishes an efficient electron and Li+ transfer path, alleviates the volume change during the battery charge-discharge process, and enhances the stability of the structure. In addition, the battery assembled with the modified separator shows excellent discharge capacity and cycle stability at 0.5 C and could maintain a high discharge capacity after 500 cycles. This work provides a method for designing highly dispersed metal sulfide nanoparticles on MXenes and extends the application of MXenes-based composites in electrochemical energy storage.

Remarkable chemical adsorption and catalysis of monodisperse metallic cobalt sulfide nanoparticles enable long-cycling Li–S battery with high areal capacity and low shuttle constant

High-energy density lithium-sulfur battery is considered as one of the most potential new-generation energy-storage technologies. Nevertheless, the capacity decays rapidly due to severe volumetric change of sulfur, dissolution and slow redox kinetics of intermediate polysulfides, and instability of lithium anode. Herein, a novel highly conductive porous sulfur cathode host composed of graphene aerogel and polar Co9S8 nanoparticle is designed to address these obstacles. The porous conductive framework not only provides channels for rapid conduction of electron and lithium ion, but also provides adequate space to physically confine the lithium polysulfides and accommodate the volume expansion. Both experimental and theoretical calculations demonstrate that the in-situ uniformly deposited Co9S8 nanoparticles can effectively bind polar lithium polysulfides and catalyze their interconversion, and the shuttle effect is therefore effectively suppressed. The Co9S8-GA/S cathode exhibits high specific discharge capacity (1219.1 mAh g−1) and high areal specific capacity (14.3 mAh m−2) at 0.1 C, low shuttle constant (0.15 h−1), excellent rate performance (625.6 mAh g−1/7.4 mAh m−2 at 5 C), outstanding long cyclic stability (low decay of 0.024 %/cycle during 1000 cycles at 2 C). This study demonstrates a promising aerogel strategy to design high-performance composite cathode for lithium-sulfur battery.