Ultrafast microwave synthesis of MoTe₂@graphene composites accelerating polysulfide conversion and promoting Li₂S...

In this report, MoTe₂ nanosheets were grown on highly conductive graphene support through a simple and ultrafast microwave-assisted chemical coupling and heating method to develop hybrid sulfur host materials for Li-S batteries. MoTe₂ nanosheets with superb electrocatalytic activity combined with highly conductive graphene form a nano reservoir for containing elemental sulfur, intermediate polysulfide species, discharge product Li₂S, and accelerating the electron transfer. Accordingly, the Li-S battery with the MoTe₂@graphene@carbon cloth electrode exhibited a high initial discharge capacity of 1246 mAh g^-1 at 0.2C for the first galvanostatic cycle, good cycle stability (98.7% capacity retention after 100 cycles at 0.2C) and superb rate performance. The synergistic effect of the chemical affinity and superior electrocatalytic capability of polar MoTe_2, along with the effective physical confinement by graphene and free-standing carbon cloth, provides a promising way to design host materials to mitigate the shuttling effect in rechargeable Li-S batteries.