Fast-charging and durable all-solid-state lithium-sulfur batteries enabled by pre-embedded solid-solid redox mediator

All-solid-state lithium-sulfur batteries promise high specific energy and low cost. However, they are challenged by poor rate capability and cycling stability owing to the slow solid-solid sulfur redox reactions. Here, we present fast-charging and durable all-solid-state lithium-sulfur batteries enabled by a pre-embedded solid-solid redox mediator using an amorphous sulfur/iodine nano-eutectic positive electrode. The iodine, intimately homogenized with sulfur owing to carbon mesopore encapsulation, undergoes rapid I2/I− redox reaction, mediating solid-solid sulfur reactions by promoting electron transfer across the boundaries. The iodine within the carbon and on its surface reacts in situ with the sulfide catholyte to form a globally distributed I2/I− nano-network throughout the positive electrode, thereby enabling fast charging. The cell exhibits a specific capacity of 851.9 mA h g−1S/I when charged at 10 C, and 474.7 mA h g−1S/I at a charging rate of 24 C (1 C is defined as 945 mA g−1S/I). The high reversibility of the redox-mediated reaction enables durable cycling for 9,000 cycles over 9 months at 2 C and 2,800 cycles over 17 months at 0.5 C. This strategy represents a perspective for developing solid-state conversion electrodes that are plagued by sluggish reactions. All-solid-state lithium sulfur batteries suffer from sluggish solid-solid sulfur redox reactions. Here, the authors report fast charging and durable all-solid-state lithium-sulfur batteries enabled by a pre-embedded solid-solid redox mediator in an amorphous sulfur/iodine nano-eutectic positive electrode.

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Publication Details

Journal
Nature Communications
Published
2026-10-09
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-78042-6
Primary Topic
Advanced Battery Materials and Technologies
Type
article
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article

Fast-charging and durable all-solid-state lithium-sulfur batteries enabled by pre-embedded solid-solid redox mediator

Mingchuan Luo, Xufeng Hong, Konrad Münch, Jinsong Wu et al.
Nature Communications
Advanced Battery Materials and Technologies
article

Fast-charging and durable all-solid-state lithium-sulfur batteries enabled by pre-embedded solid-solid redox mediator

Mingchuan Luo, Xufeng Hong, Konrad Münch, Jinsong Wu, Muhammad Burhan Shafqat, Kaier Shen, Mohammadhosein Safari, Jiashen Meng, Torsten Brezesinski, Philip Henkel, Quanquan Pang, Ruizhuo Zhang, Huimin Song, Yingjing Yan, Weize Shi, Lei Zheng, Zhitong Xiao, Tinglu Song, Jürgen Janek, Yu Wang, Peng Dong Gao, Yue Ma, Mengxue He, Yitao Li, Chenyan Ma, Chenxi Zheng, Xin Gao, Fang Liu, Hong Wang
article en

Abstract

All-solid-state lithium-sulfur batteries promise high specific energy and low cost. However, they are challenged by poor rate capability and cycling stability owing to the slow solid-solid sulfur redox reactions. Here, we present fast-charging and durable all-solid-state lithium-sulfur batteries enabled by a pre-embedded solid-solid redox mediator using an amorphous sulfur/iodine nano-eutectic positive electrode. The iodine, intimately homogenized with sulfur owing to carbon mesopore encapsulation, undergoes rapid I2/I− redox reaction, mediating solid-solid sulfur reactions by promoting electron transfer across the boundaries. The iodine within the carbon and on its surface reacts in situ with the sulfide catholyte to form a globally distributed I2/I− nano-network throughout the positive electrode, thereby enabling fast charging. The cell exhibits a specific capacity of 851.9 mA h g−1S/I when charged at 10 C, and 474.7 mA h g−1S/I at a charging rate of 24 C (1 C is defined as 945 mA g−1S/I). The high reversibility of the redox-mediated reaction enables durable cycling for 9,000 cycles over 9 months at 2 C and 2,800 cycles over 17 months at 0.5 C. This strategy represents a perspective for developing solid-state conversion electrodes that are plagued by sluggish reactions. All-solid-state lithium sulfur batteries suffer from sluggish solid-solid sulfur redox reactions. Here, the authors report fast charging and durable all-solid-state lithium-sulfur batteries enabled by a pre-embedded solid-solid redox mediator in an amorphous sulfur/iodine nano-eutectic positive electrode.

Nature Communications
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (DE), Beijing Institute of Technology (CN), Wuhan University of Technology (CN), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CN), Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen (DE), Peking University (CN), Shanghai Advanced Research Institute (CN), Collaborative Innovation Center of Quantum Matter (CN), Institute of High Energy Physics (CN), State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology For Materials Synthesis and Processing, Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Zhangjiang Laboratory (CN), Hasselt University (BE)
Openalex Percentile: Top 23%
Advanced Battery Materials and Technologies
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