Electrocatalysis of Ruthenium Nanoparticles-Decorated Hollow Carbon Spheres for the Conversion of Li 2 S 2 /Li 2 S in Lithium-Sulfur Batteries

Controlling "polysulfide dissolution" and pacifying "polysulfide shuttle" hold the key in developing a lithium-sulfur battery with superior electrochemical performance. Further, exploration of the concept of electrocatalysts plays a significant role in enhancing the electrochemical reversibility of polysulfides in lithium-sulfur battery. Herein, ruthenium nanoparticles-decorated porous, hollow carbon spheres have been successfully prepared and deployed as electrocatalyst as well as sulfur host in the lithium-sulfur battery assembly. Interaction of sulfur with ruthenium nanoparticles has been explained with appropriate electroanalytical and electrochemical characterization techniques. We observe that lithium-sulfur battery containing C-Ru-S cathode with a fixed sulfur loading exhibits a significantly improved capacity of 1200 mA h g at C/10 current rate for 100 cycles. Volume expansion-related issues are found to get addressed by the hollow structured carbon spheres, and the electrocatalytic activity will improve the reaction kinetics of the conversion of Li S to Li S and vice versa.