Conducting polymer-coated MIL-101/S composite with scale-like shell structure for improving Li–S batteries

Lithium–sulfur batteries are regarded as a promising energy storage system. However, they are plagued by rapid capacity decay, low coulombic efficiency, a severe shuttle effect and low sulfur loading in cathodes. To address these problems, effective carriers are highly demanded to encapsulate sulfur in order to extend the cycle life. Herein, we introduced a doped-PEDOT:PSS-coated MIL-101/S multi-core–shell structured composite. The unique structure of MIL-101, large specific area and conductive shell ensure high dispersion of sulfur in the composite and minimize the loss of polysulfides to the electrolyte. The doped-PEDOT:PSS-coated sulfur electrodes exhibited an increase in initial capacity and an improvement in rate characteristics. After 192 cycles at the current density of 0.1C, a doped-PEDOT:PSS-coated MIL-101/S electrode maintained a capacity of 606.62 mA h g(−1), while the MIL-101/S@PEDOT:PSS electrode delivered a capacity of 456.69 mA h g(−1). The EIS measurement revealed that the surface modification with the conducting polymer provided a lower resistance to the sulfur electrode, which resulted in better electrochemical behaviors in Li–S battery applications. Test results indicate that the MIL-101/S@doped-PEDOT:PSS is a promising host material for the sulfur cathode in the lithium–sulfur battery applications.