Polypyrrole-coated hollow zeolite microcake as sulfur host for lithium‑sulfur batteries with improved electrochemical behaviors

Abstract The polysulfide shuttle phenomenon of lithium‑sulfur batteries restricts their practical applications. Herein, polypyrrole-coated hollow zeolite microcakes are first synthesized to reduce the polysulfide shuttle. The large surface area of hollow zeolite microcakes can increase the amount of sulfur storage. Moreover, the special hollow zeolite microcakes with polypyrrole coating enhance sulfur utilization. Consequently, the as-prepared composite electrode deliveres a capacity of 753 mAh g−1 after cycling 200 times at 0.1 A g−1, and a capacity of 460 mAh g−1 after cycling 500 times at 0.5 A g−1, which are much higher than those of the hollow zeolite microcakes without polypyrrole coating. These electrochemical characteristics make the composite a prospective sulfur host for lithium‑sulfur batteries.