A supramolecular complex of C60-S with high-density active sites as cathode for lithium-sulfur batteries.

The well-known "shuttle effect" of the intermediate lithium polysulfides (LiPSs) and the low sulfur utilization hinder the practical application of lithium sulfur (Li-S) batteries. Herein, we develop a novel C 60 -S supramolecular complex with high-density active sites for LiPSs adsorption by a simple one-step process as the cathode material for Li-S batteries. Benefiting from the co-crystal structure, 100% of C 60 molecules in the complex can offer active sites to adsorb LiPSs and catalyze its conversion. Furthermore, the lithiated C 60 cores are beneficial to promote the internal ion transport inside the composite cathode. At a low electrolyte/sulfur ratio of 5 μL mg -1 , the C 60 -S cathode with a sulfur loading of 4 mg cm -2 exhibits a high capacity of 809 mAh g -1 (3.2 mAh cm -2 ). The exploration of C 60 -S supramolecular complex inspires the invention of a new family of S/fullerenes as cathode for high-performance Li-S batteries and as well as extends the application of fullerenes.