Percolating carbon nanoparticles were added into electrolyte to improve the performance of Li–S batteries. These percolating carbon nanoparticles acted as dispersible nanosized electrodes, allowed the direct electrochemical utilization of dissolved polysulfides in electrolyte, and mitigated the polysulfide shuttle. As a result, the polysulfide utilization was improved with the virtual sulfur capacity increasing from 538 mA h g−1 to 1270 mA h g−1. The increment in high plateau-sloping capacity is 43% while a much more significant 158% increment is observed in low plateau region. The percolating carbon nanoparticles also improved the battery stability.

Read more: Carbon 2015, vol 93, 161-168 (DOI:10.1016/j.carbon.2015.05.044)

Schematic illustration of the gradient distribution of sulfur species in percolating electrolyte