Porous Ti₄O₇ Particles with Interconnected‐Pore Structure as a High‐Efficiency Polysulfide Mediator for Lithium–Sulfur Batteries

Abstract

Multifunctional Ti 4 O 7 particles with interconnected‐pore structure are designed and synthesized using porous poly(styrene‐ b ‐2‐vinylpyridine) particles as a template. The particles can work efficiently as a sulfur‐host material for lithium–sulfur batteries. Specifically, the well‐defined porous Ti 4 O 7 particles exhibit interconnected pores in the interior and have a high‐surface area of 592 m 2 g −1 ; this shows the advantage of mesopores for encapsulating of sulfur and provides a polar surface for chemical binding with polysulfides to suppress their dissolution. Moreover, in order to improve the conductivity of the electrode, a thin layer of carbon is coated on the Ti 4 O 7 surface without destroying its porous structure. The porous Ti 4 O 7 and carbon‐coated Ti 4 O 7 particles show significantly improved electrochemical performances as cathode materials for Li–S batteries as compared with those of TiO 2 particles.