Tellurium Nanowires for Lithium-Metal Anode Stabilization in High-Performance Anode-Free Li-S Batteries

Enhancing the reversibility of Li is crucial for extending the cycle life of Li-limited anode-free lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries. Incorporating tellurium (Te) in the system has proven to be highly effective by its reaction with polysulfides and forming a passivating interfacial layer on Li surface, which reduces the Li-ion diffusion barrier. However, due to the poor utilization of Te, a significant amount of Te is required to improve cell cycling performance. To address this, nanowire-structured Te (TeNW) is synthesized via a hydrothermal method and applied to Li₂S-based anode-free cells to minimize the Te content in the system while extending the cell cycle life. Coating TeNW onto the separator greatly enhances Te utilization and demonstrates a significant cycle life improvement (38% retention over 300 cycles) with only 4 wt% TeNW content relative to the active material. The versatility of TeNW is further demonstrated by utilizing them with carbon nanotubes as the anode substrate. The exceptional performance of TeNW is attributed to the high-surface-area nanostructure and excellent conductive network, facilitating efficient electron transfer during cell cycling. These advantageous properties position TeNW as a promising material to enhance the cycle life of Li-limited Li-S batteries.