Sulfur Immobilization Research Articles

Correction to “3D Vertically Aligned and Interconnected Porous Carbon Nanosheets as Sulfur Immobilizers for High Performance Lithium‐Sulfur Batteries”

Correction to “3D Vertically Aligned and Interconnected Porous Carbon Nanosheets as Sulfur Immobilizers for High Performance Lithium‐Sulfur Batteries”

Theoretical investigation of synergistically boosting the anchoring and electrochemical performance of lithiophilic/sulfiphilic transition metal carbides for lithium-sulfur batteries.

Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) battery is one of the most promising next-generation energy-storage systems with a high energy density and low cost. However, their commercial applications face several challenges, such as the shuttle effect caused by the soluble lithium polysulfide (LiPSs) intermediates and the sluggish sulfur redox reaction. In this article, we systematically investigated the anchoring and electrochemical performance of a series of transition metal carbides (TMCs: TiC, VC, ZrC, NbC, HfC, TaC) as cathode materials for Li-S batteries by theoretical calculations. The lithiophilic/sulfiphilic non-polar (001) surfaces of TMCs can offer moderate binding strength with LiPS intermediates, ensuring good performance of sulfur immobilization. These TMCs can also facilitate lithium diffusion, indicating the good rate performance of Li-S batteries. We also demonstrated that the studied TMCs can be classified into two classes according to their catalytic activity for Li2S decomposition which originated from their different electronic structural features. Furthermore, TiC, ZrC, and HfC exhibited excellent bifunctional electrochemical activity through reducing the Gibbs free energy for sulfur reduction reactions (SRRs) and lowering the barrier for Li2S decomposition which facilitates accelerating electrode kinetics and elevating utilization of sulfur. Our results offer a systematic approach to designing and screening non-polar materials for high-performance Li-S batteries, based on the rational electronic structure and lattice match strategy.

3D Flower-like Nanospheres Constructed by Transition Metal Telluride Nanosheets as Sulfur Immobilizers for High-Performance Room-Temperature Na-S Batteries.

Room-temperature sodium-sulfur (RT Na-S) batteries hold immense promise as next-generation energy storage systems, owing to their exceptionally high theoretical capacity, abundant resources, eco-friendliness, and affordability. Nevertheless, their practical application is impeded by the shuttling effect of sodium polysulfides (NaPSs) and sluggish sulfur redox kinetics. In this study, an advanced strategy by designing 3D flower-like molybdenum telluride (MoTe2) as an efficient catalyst to promote sulfur redox for RT Na-S batteries is presented. The unique 3D flower-like MoTe2 effectively prevents NaPS shuttling and simultaneously offers abundant active catalytic sites facilitating polysulfide redox. Consequently, the obtained MoTe2/S cathode delivers an outstanding initial reversible capacity of 1015mAhg-1 at 0.1C, along with robust cycling stability of retaining 498mAhg-1 at 1C after 500 cycles. In addition, pouch cells are fabricated with the MoTe2 additive to deliver an ultrahigh initial discharge capacity of 890mAhg-1 and remain stable over 40 cycles under practically necessary conditions, demonstrating the potential application in the commercialization of RT Na-S batteries.

Enhancing Lithium-Sulfur Battery Performance by MXene, Graphene, and Ionic Liquids: A DFT Investigation.

The efficacy of lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries crucially hinges on the sulfur immobilization process, representing a pivotal avenue for bolstering their operational efficiency and durability. This dissertation primarily tackles the formidable challenge posed by the high solubility of polysulfides in electrolyte solutions. Quantum chemical computations were leveraged to scrutinize the interactions of MXene materials, graphene (Gr) oxide, and ionic liquids with polysulfides, yielding pivotal binding energy metrics. Comparative assessments were conducted with the objective of pinpointing MXene materials, with a specific focus on d-Ti3C2 materials, evincing augmented binding energies with polysulfides and ionic liquids demonstrating diminished binding energies. Moreover, a diverse array of Gr oxide materials was evaluated for their adsorption capabilities. Scrutiny of the computational outcomes unveiled an augmentation in the solubility of selectively screened d-Ti3C2 MXene and ionic liquids-vis à vis one or more of the five polysulfides. Therefore, the analysis encompasses an in-depth comparative assessment of the stability of polysulfide adsorption by d-Ti3C2 MXene materials, Gr oxide materials, and ionic liquids across diverse ranges.

Tandem Carbon Hollow Spheres with Tailored Inner Structure as Sulfur Immobilization for Superior Lithium–Sulfur Batteries

AbstractThe construction of lithium–sulfur battery cathode materials while simultaneously achieving high areal sulfur‐loading, adequate sulfur utilization, efficient polysulfides inhibition, rapid ion diffusion, etc. remains a major challenge. Herein, an internal regulatory strategy to fabricate the unique walnut‐like yolk–shell carbon flower@carbon nanospheres is presented (WSYCS) as sulfur hosts. The internal carbon flower, suitable cavity, and external carbon layer effectively disperse the insulate sulfur, accommodate volumetric expansion, and confine polysulfides, thus improving the performance of lithium–sulfur batteries. The finite element simulation method also deduces the enhanced Li+ diffusion and lithium–sulfur reaction kinetics. More importantly, WSYCS2 is grafted onto carbon fiber (CF) by electro‐spinning method to form a tandem WSYCS2@CF 3D film as a sulfur host for the free‐standing electrode. The corresponding battery exhibits an extremely high areal capacity of 15.5 mAh cm−2 with a sulfur loading of 13.4 mg cm−2. Particularly, the flexible lithium–sulfur pouch cell delivers a high capacity of 8.1 mAh cm−2 and excellent capacity retention of 65% over 800 cycles at a relatively high rate of 1C, corresponding to a calculated energy density of 539 Wh kg−1 and 591 Wh L−1. This work not only provides guidance for tailoring thick carbon/sulfur electrodes but also boosts the development of practical lithium–sulfur batteries.

Metal-organic framework-derived heterostructural bi-phased Sm2O3 as a novel sulfur immobilizer for high-performance Lithium-sulfur batteries

Owing to their high theoretical energy density, low cost, and eco-friendliness, lithium‑sulfur (Li-S) batteries are one of the most promising alternatives to Li-ion batteries. However, the commercialization of Li-S batteries has been hampered by their rapid capacity fading and poor cycling lifetime due to the shuttling and sluggish redox kinetics of polysulfides (LiPSs). To address these issues, functionalizing a commercial separator is a simple and effective strategy. In this study, we developed a novel modified polypropylene separator coated with samarium-based metal-organic framework-derived heterostructural bi-phased Sm2O3 (Bi-Sm2O3), which contains cubic Sm2O3 (C-Sm2O3) and monoclinic Sm2O3 (M-Sm2O3) phase in a single polycrystalline particle. The alleviated “shuttle effect” of LiPSs can be achieved by synergistic effect at the Bi-Sm2O3 surface mainly through strong adsorption of LiPSs on M-Sm2O3 surface followed by catalytic conversion over C-Sm2O3. An optimized Bi-Sm2O3-modified separator with a thickness of 150 μm can enable the Li-S battery to deliver an improved cycling and rate performance with a high specific capacity of 860.1 mAh g−1 at 2C and a low decay rate of 0.11 % per cycle over 500 cycles at 1C.

Facile synthesis of MoS2 confined in yolk-shell hollow mesoporous carbon spheres with enhanced polysulfide binding for high-rate Li-S batteries

Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries are one of the most potential energy storage systems because of their high theoretical density, environmental friendliness. However, the practical application of Li-S batteries is currently hampered by several intrinsic problems including the shuttle effects of polysulfides and sluggish electrode reaction kinetics. Herein, a flower-like MoS2 nanosheets confined and in situ grown inside yolk-shell hollow mesoporous carbon spheres (abbreviated as MoS2 @YHMCs) was fabricated as advanced sulfur immobilizer, which can effectively inhibit shuttle effect and conversion of polysulfides. The yolk-shell hollow mesoporous carbon spheres can restrain the volume variation during lithiation-delithiation processes, expose abundant active interfaces and furnish a shortened ion/electron transmission route for facilitated redox reactions. Furthermore, the few layered MoS2 nanosheets have strong LiPS adsorption and catalyzation, thereby achieving rapid redox conversion and enhanced reaction kinetics. Owing to these structural advantages, the delicately-designed MoS2 @S@YHMCs cathode shows good Li-S battery performance, i.e., high initial discharge capacity (1145 mAh g−1), desirable rate capability (770 mAh g−1 at 4 C), and superior cycling performance (583 mAh g−1 after 200 cycles at 1 C), suggesting great application prospects in the development of Li-S batteries.

High-Energy Ball Milling Promoted Sulfur Immobilization for Constructing High-Performance Na-Storage Carbon Anodes.

Sulfur (S) doping is an effective method for constructing high-performance carbon anodes for sodium-ion batteries. However, traditional designs of S-doped carbon often exhibit low initial Coulombic efficiency (ICE), poor rate capability, and impoverished cycle performance, limiting their practical applications. This study proposes an innovative design strategy to fabricate S-doped carbon using sulfonated sugar molecules as precursors via high-energy ball milling. The results show that the high-energy ball milling can immobilize S for sulfonated sugar molecules by modulating the chemical state of S atoms, thereby creating a S-rich carbon framework with a doping level of 15.5 wt %. In addition, the S atoms are present mainly in the form of C-S bonds, facilitating a stable electrochemical reaction; meanwhile, S atoms expand the spacing between carbon layers and contribute sufficient capacitance-type Na-storage sites. Consequently, the S-doped carbon exhibits a large capacity (>600 mAh g-1), a high ICE (>90%), superior cycling stability (490 mAh g-1 after 1100 cycles at 5 A g-1), and outstanding rate performance (420 mAh g-1 at a high current density of 50 A g-1). Such excellent Na-storage properties of S-doped carbon have rarely been reported in the literatures before.

Manipulating Redox Kinetics using p-n Heterojunction Biservice Matrix as both Cathode Sulfur Immobilizer and Anode Lithium Stabilizer for Practical Lithium-Sulfur Batteries.

As an attractive high-energy-density technology, the practical application of lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries is severely limited by the notorious dissolution and shuttle effect of lithium polysulfides (LiPS), resulting in sluggish reaction kinetics and uncontrollable dendritic Li growth. Herein, a p-n typed heterostructure consisting of n-type MoS2 nanoflowers embedded with p-type NiO nanoparticles is designed on carbon nanofibers (denoted as NiO-MoS2 @CNFs) as both cathode sulfur immobilizer and anode Li stabilizer for practical Li-S batteries. Such p-n typed heterostructure is proposed to establish the built-in electric field across the heterointerface for facilitated the positive charge to reach the surface of NiO-MoS2 , meanwhile inherits the excellent LiPS adsorption ability of p-type NiO nanoparticles and catalytic ability of n-type MoS2 . As the anode matrix, the implementation of NiO-MoS2 heterostructure can prevent the growth of Li dendrites by enhancing the lithiophilicity and reducing local current density. The obtained Li-S full battery exhibits an ultra-high areal capacity over 7.3 mAh cm-2 , far exceeding that of current commercial Li-ion batteries. Meanwhile, a stable cycling performance can be achieved under low electrolyte/sulfur ratio of 5.8µL mg-1 and negative/positive capacity ratio of 1. The corresponding pouch cell maintains high energy density of 305Wh kg-1 and stable cycling performance under various bending angles.

Polyoxometalate derived hierarchically structured N,P-Codoped reduced graphene oxide/MoO2 composites for high performance lithium–sulfur batteries

Lithium-sulfur batteries (LSB) have a higher energy density than a practical lithium-ion battery, but they have a number of issues, including a lithium polysulfide (LiPS) shuttle and sluggish reaction kinetics, that must be addressed before they can be used in large-scale applications. Hierarchically structured MoO2 nanoparticles with N,P-codoped reduced graphene oxide (N,P-rGO/h-MoO2) are prepared by the combined procedures of the Ostwald ripening process and hydrothermal treatment, followed by homogeneously distributed hollow MoO2 nanospheres on N,P-codoped rGO sheets. The hollow structure of MoO2 can act as a physical barrier to LiPS through its interior void and volume buffering of sulfur during cycling. In addition, N and P atoms introduced with MoO2 nanoparticles not only contribute to enhanced sulfur immobilization but also promote LiPS redox kinetics. The N,P-rGO/h-MoO2@S cathode materials demonstrated a high discharge capacity of 1274.9 mAh g−1 at 0.1C with superior high-rate capacity of 374.4 mAh g−1 at 10C. Furthermore, the N,P-rGO/h-MoO2@S showed excellent long-term stability at 5 and 10C with low-capacity decay rates of 0.043 and 0.029% per cycle, respectively, even after 900 cycles. At a sulfur loading concentration of 4.2 mg cm−2, the N,P-rGO/h-MoO2@S obtained a high capacity of 5.0 mAh cm−2 with high-capacity retention of 79.7% over 250 cycles, and a relatively low fading rate of 0.08% per cycle.

Advances in Strategic Inhibition of Polysulfide Shuttle in Room-Temperature Sodium-Sulfur Batteries via Electrode and Interface Engineering

Room-temperature sodium-sulfur batteries (RT-NaSBs) with high theoretical energy density and low cost are ideal candidates for next-generation stationary and large-scale energy storage. However, the dissolution of sodium polysulfide (NaPS) intermediates and their migration to the anode side give rise to the shuttle phenomenon that impedes the reaction kinetics leading to rapid capacity decay, poor coulombic efficiency, and severe loss of active material. Inhibiting the generation of long-chain NaPS or facilitating their adsorption via physical and chemical polysulfide trapping mechanisms is vital to enhancing the electrochemical performance of RT-NaSBs. This review provides a brief account of the polysulfide inhibition strategies employed in RT-NaSBs via physical and chemical adsorption processes via the electrode and interfacial engineering. Specifically, the sulfur immobilization and polysulfide trapping achieved by electrode engineering strategies and the interfacial engineering of the separator, functional interlayer, and electrolytes are discussed in detail in light of recent advances in RT-NaSBs. Additionally, the benefits of engineering the highly reactive Na anode interface in improving the stability of RT-NaSBs are also elucidated. Lastly, the future perspectives on designing high-performance RT-NaSBs for practical applications are briefly outlined.

D-p Hybridization-Induced "Trapping-Coupling-Conversion" Enables High-Efficiency Nb Single-Atom Catalysis for Li-S Batteries.

Single-atom catalysts have been paid more attention to improving sluggish reaction kinetics and anchoring polysulfide for lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries. It has been demonstrated that d-block single-atom elements in the fourth period can chemically interact with the local environment, leading to effective adsorption and catalytic activity toward lithium polysulfides. Enlightened by theoretical screening, for the first time, we design novel single-atom Nb catalysts toward improved sulfur immobilization and catalyzation. Calculations reveal that Nb-N4 active moiety possesses abundant unfilled antibonding orbitals, which promotes d-p hybridization and enhances anchoring capability toward lithium polysulfides via a "trapping-coupling-conversion" mechanism. The Nb-SAs@NC cell exhibits a high capacity retention of over 85% after 1000 cycles, a superior rate performance of 740 mA h g-1 at 7 C, and a competitive areal capacity of 5.2 mAh cm-2 (5.6 mg cm-2). Our work provides a new perspective to extend cathodes enabling high-energy-density Li-S batteries.

Deciphering the interaction mechanism between copper and polysulfides for enhanced performance and cost-efficiency in quasi-sodium-sulfur batteries

Room-temperature Na-S batteries with Al current collectors face the long-standing challenges of poor cycling performance and rate capability due to the serious sodium polysulfides (NaPSs) shuttling and sluggish reaction kinetics. Here, we demonstrate that a high-performance and low-cost quasi-Na-S battery can be realized by using the Cu@carbon nanotube (CNT) cathode host and unconventional Cu current collector (Cu-CC) in an ether electrolyte. Detailed ex-situ characterizations reveal that the Cu@CNT/S was transformed to NaPSs anchoring on Cu7S4 nanocrystals (~11 nm) during the cycling, forming the NaPS@Cu7S4/CNT cathode with robust sulfur immobilization and enhanced Na+ reaction kinetics. Moreover, the chemical interaction between NaPSs and Cu-CC in situ creates a robust Cu-CC/electrode interface with ultra-small resistance (< 4 Ω), greatly improving the electrode stability and charge transfer kinetics. The synergy of efficient NaPSs trapping and favorable Cu/electrode interface endows the quasi-Na-S battery with a moderate discharge plateau (around 1.2~1.75 V), excellent rate capability (396.9 mAh g-1 at 10 A g-1), and ultra-stable cycling performance (nearly no capacity decay over 1190 cycles). These features make it quite suitable for stable and cost-sensitive grid-scale applications.

Geochemical and S isotopic studies of pollutant evolution in groundwater after acid in situ leaching in a uranium mine area in Xinjiang

Laboratory experiments and point monitoring of reservoir sediments have proven that stable sulfate reduction (SSR) can lower the concentrations of toxic metals and sulfate in acidic groundwater for a long time. Here, we hypothesize that SSR occurred during in situ leaching after uranium mining, which can impact the fate of acid groundwater in an entire region. To test this, we applied a sulfur isotope fractionation method to analyze the mechanism for natural attenuation of contaminated groundwater produced by acid in situ leaching of uranium (Xinjiang, China). The results showed that δ34S increased over time after the cessation of uranium mining, and natural attenuation caused considerable, area-scale immobilization of sulfur corresponding to retention levels of 5.3%–48.3% while simultaneously decreasing the concentration of uranium. Isotopic evidence for SSR in the area, together with evidence for changes of pollutant concentrations, suggest that area-scale SSR is most likely also important at other acid mining sites for uranium, where retention of acid groundwater may be strengthened through natural attenuation. To recapitulate, the sulfur isotope fractionation method constitutes a relatively accurate tool for quantification of spatiotemporal trends for groundwater during migration and transformation resulting from acid in situ leaching of uranium in northern China.

Core-shell and hollow meso@microporous carbon derived from ZIF-8 @CMK-3 composites for Li-S batteries

Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries have attracted much attention because of their potential as a new technology for high-energy batteries. However, the “shuttle effect” of polysulfide intermediates and poor conductivity of sulfur active species limit the development of Li-S batteries. Herein, a novel core-shell and hollow meso@microporous carbon matrix (ZIF-8(C)@CMK-3) is designed, which wraps N-doped carbon shell in the outer layer of ordered mesoporous CMK-3 through in-situ carbonization of thin zeolitic-imidazolate framework ZIF-8 layer. The combination of advantages of unique pore size, N-doping and core-shell architecture renders the resultant carbon matrix with enhanced electron/Li+ transport and the synergistic chemical/physical polysulfide anchoring. As a result, ZIF-8(C)@CMK-3 @S exhibits high reversible capacity (1597.2 mAh/g at a current density of 0.1 C) and well stability (596 mAh/g after 300 cycles at 2 C), and the fading rate per cycle capacity is 0.11%. The results indicated ZIF-8(C)@CMK-3 has a great potential to be used as efficient sulfur immobilizer for Li-S batteries.

Bidirectionally polarizing surface chemistry of heteroatom-doped carbon matrix towards fast and longevous lithium-sulfur batteries

Herein, a bidirectional polarization strategy is proposed for hosting efficient and durable lithium-sulfur battery (Li-S) electrochemistry. By co-doping electronegative N and electropositive B in graphene matrix (BNrGO), the bidirectional electron redistribution enables a higher polysulfide affinity over its mono-doped counterparts, contributing to strong sulfur immobilization and fast conversion kinetics. As a result, BNrGO as the cathode host matrix realizes excellent cycling stability over 1000 cycles with a minimum capacity fading of 0.027% per cycle, and superb rate capability up to 10 C. Meanwhile, decent areal capacity (6.46 mAh/cm2) and cyclability (300 cycles) are also achievable under high sulfur loading and limited electrolyte. This work provides instructive insights into the interaction between doping engineering and sulfur electrochemistry for pursuing superior Li-S batteries.

Oxygen vacancies in open-hollow microcapsule enable accelerated kinetics for stable Li-S battery

The fast development of lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries is catching more attention to improve cycling stability and kinetics. Herein, a hierarchical porous Ni/NiO/C microsphere (NIONC) with openings assembled by ultrathin nanosheets is introduced to solve the poor conductivity, shuttle effect, and slow electrochemical kinetics of Li-S batteries. The structure of NIONC open-hollow microcapsules combines several advantageous properties for the improvement of electrochemical performances. Primarily, a well-developed hollow structure and openings can perform as containers and doors for sulfur immobilization. Therefore, the confinement effect to sulfur species is obtained by this hollow sphere. Secondly, the nanosheets with oxygen vacancies and Ni active sites provide abundant active sites for the chemical absorption of polysulfides. Based on the open structure and oxygen vacancies of Ni/NiO, both the physical absorption and chemical immobilization of sulfur are realized, with high stability and fast kinetics. The S-injected NIONC (NIONC/S) cathode exhibits outstanding rate performance at 5 A g-1 with a high capability of 794 mAh g-1 and excellent long-cycle performance of 653 mAh g-1 after 300 cycles at 1 A g-1. We proposed a simple and controllable route to fabricate sulfur hosts by structure and composition adjustment, which will inspire the commercial application of Li-S batteries.

Oxidation States Regulation of Cobalt Active Sites through Crystal Surface Engineering for Enhanced Polysulfide Conversion in Lithium-Sulfur Batteries.

In this work, unique Co3 O4 /N-doped reduced graphene oxide (Co3 O4 /N-rGO)composites as favorable sulfur immobilizers and promoters for lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries are developed. The prepared Co3 O4 nanopolyhedrons (Co3 O4 -NP) and Co3 O4 nanocubes mainly expose (112) and (001) surfaces, respectively, with different atomic configurations of Co2+ /Co3+ sites. Experiments and theoretical calculations confirm that the octahedral coordination Co3+ (Co3+ Oh ) siteswith different oxidation states from tetrahedralcoordination Co2+ sites optimize the adsorption and catalytic conversion of lithium polysulfides. Specially, the Co3 O4 -NP crystals loaded on N-rGO expose (112) planes with ample Co3+ Oh active sites, exhibiting stronger adsorbability and superior catalytic activity for polysulfides, thus inhibiting the shuttle effect. Therefore, the S@Co3 O4 -NP/N-rGO cathodes deliver excellent electrochemical properties, for example, stable cyclability at 1C with a low capacity decay rate of 0.058% over 500cycles, superb rate capability up to 3C, and high areal capacity of 4.1mAhcm-2 . This catalyst's design incorporating crystal surface engineering and oxidation state regulation strategies also provides new approaches for addressing the complicated issues of Li-S batteries.

MOFs-derived integrated flower shaped porous carbon anchored with core-shell Ni-NiO nanoparticles as efficient multifunctional electrode for Li–S batteries

Designing electrodes with structures suitable for storing and fixing sulfur to overcome the inherent shortcomings of lithium-sulfur (Li–S) batteries is an effective approach to achieving commercial application. Indeed, multifunctional electrodes constructed with sulfur immobilization substrate and efficient catalyst has dramatically improved the utilization of sulfur. However, structurally designing the substrate and achieving uniform dispersion of catalytic remain huge challenges. In this paper, a metal-organic frameworks derived flower shaped nitrogen doped carbon (NC) materials anchored with core-shell Ni-NiO nanoparticles loaded on carbon paper (CP) was fabricated, which equipped with 3D conductive network and hierarchical porous structure physically restrict polysulfide shuttling. Furthermore, well-proportioned Ni-NiO nanoparticles were induced into host to bond with polysulfides further catalyzed the electrochemical reaction. Notably, the S@Ni-NiO@NC/CP exhibited high specific capacity with 1332.9 mAh/g initial specific capacity at 0.5 C and maintained at 896.3 mAh/g after 200 cycles. And S@Ni-NiO@NC/CP can achieves an initial capacity of 1095.7 mA h g−1 even with high sulfur loading of 4.6 mg/cm2. Electrochemical test results indicated that the introduction of Ni-NiO catalyst can improve the kinetics and reduce the reaction overpotential (ηE), and further affects the value of concentration overpotential (ηC) ultimately leads to the increase of battery capacity.

V4C3TX MXene: First-principles computational and separator modification study on immobilization and catalytic conversion of polysulfide in Li-S batteries

Many attempts have recently used rationally-designed Ti3C2Tx MXene-based materials to increase sulfur utilization and tackle the detrimental shuttle effect in Li–S batteries (LSBs) due to their merits of high electronic conductivity, considerable catalytic activity, and sulfur immobilization. Nevertheless, the investigation of applying other two-dimensional (2D) transition metal carbides in LSBs is comparatively rare. In this work, the first-principles computations predicted that V4C3Tx could boost the “adsorption-diffusion-conversion” process of lithium polysulfides (LiPSs) over that of most other metal carbides of the MXene family. Inspired by this, we prepared the V4C3Tx MXene by hydrofluoric acid (HF) etching and then used it as a functional material coating on a polypropylene (PP) separator for LSB. As expected, the V4C3Tx modified PP separator (V4C3Tx-PP) can effectively prevent the shuttle effect of LiPSs via physical blocking, chemical adsorption, and catalytic conversion, as confirmed by visual polysulfide adsorption and diffusion tests, XPS analysis, and a series of electrochemical evaluations. As a result, the LSB with a V4C3Tx-PP enabled a high capacity and enhanced cycling performance (927 mAh g−1 at 1 C and 516 mAh g−1 retained for over 800 cycles, 1 C = 1675 mA g−1). More encouragingly, the cell achieves a superior rate capability of 725 mAh g−1 at 2 C and 586 mAh g−1 at 4 C, respectively. In addition, the V4C3Tx-PP-based LSB shows a high areal capacity of 4.3 mAh cm−2, even with the sulfur loading up to 4 mg cm−2. This work expands the application types and scope of MXenes from theoretical and experimental points of view. The first use of the V4C3Tx MXene modified separator in Li-S batteries creates high potential for practical application.