A Natural Polymer Captor for Immobilizing Polysulfide/Polyselenide in Working Li-SeS₂ Batteries

SeS₂ has become a promising cathode material owing to its enhanced electrical conductivity over sulfur and higher theoretical specific capacity than selenium; however, the working Li-SeS₂ batteries have to face the practical challenges from the severe shuttling of soluble dual intermediates of polysulfide and polyselenide, especially in high-SeS₂-loading cathodes. Herein, a natural organic polymer, Nicandra physaloides pectin (NPP), is proposed to serve as an effective polysulfide/polyselenide captor to address the shuttling issues. Informed by theoretical calculations, NPP is competent to provide a Lewis base-based strong binding interaction with polysulfides/polyselenides via forming lithium bonds, and it can be homogeneously deposited onto a three-dimensional double-carbon conductive scaffold to finally constitute a polysulfide/polyselenide-immobilizing interlayer. Operando spectroscopy analysis validates the enhanced polysulfide/polyselenide trapping and high conversion efficiency on the constructed interlayer, hence bestowing the Li-SeS₂ cells with ultrahigh rate capability (448 mAh g^-1 at 10 A g^-1), durable cycling lifespan (≈ 0.037% capacity attenuation rate per cycle), and high areal capacity (> 6.5 mAh cm^-2) at high SeS₂ loading of 15.4 mg cm^-2. Importantly, pouch cells assembled with this interlayer exhibit excellent flexibility, decent rate capability with relatively low electrolyte-to-capacity ratio, and stable cycling life even under a low electrolyte condition, promising a low-cost, viable design protocol toward practical Li-SeS₂ batteries.