Metal-Organic Framework-derived Atomic Metal Sites Promoting Sulfur Cathode for All-Solid-State Lithium-Sulfur...

All-solid-state lithium-sulfur batteries (ASSLSBs) offer high energy density and intrinsic safety; however, they still face major challenges, including sluggish redox kinetics and poor sulfur utilization. Incorporating conductive materials into sulfur cathodes is an effective strategy to mitigate these limitations. Here, a highly conductive cobalt-nitrogen-doped carbon (Co-NC) derived from a metal-organic framework (MOF) is introduced to accelerate charge transfer and promote reversible sulfur conversion. Co-NC provides atomically dispersed Co-N sites and conductive carbon pathways that correlate with improved charge transfer, sulfur utilization, and rate capability. Co-NC@S cathode delivers 1499 mAh g^-1 at C/20 with a high sulfur loading (5 mg cm^-2) and retains 1292 mAh g^-1 after five cycles (vs 443 mAh g^-1 without Co-NC). Moreover, Co-NC derived ASSLSB achieves 903 mAh g^-1 at 5C at 60 °C. This work provides a practical and effective approach to develop high energy, high-rate ASSLSBs.