Vertically aligned graphene nanosheets on multi-yolk/shell structured TiC@C nanofibers for stable Li–S batteries

Maintaining structural stability and alleviating the intrinsic poor conductivity of cathode materials are of great importance for practical application of Li–S batteries. Introducing void space and a highly conductive host to accommodate the volume changes and enhance the conductivity would be a smart design to achieve robust construction; effective electron and ion transportation, thus, lead to prolonged cycling life and excellent rate performance. In this regard, we report the design of carbonaceous hybrid with vertically aligned graphene assembled on multi-yolk/shell structured TiC@C nanofibers to afford synergistic properties of enough space, strong chemisorption and active electrocatalysis, high electrical conductivity as a sulfur host. Thus, the as-prepared sulfur cathode delivers an excellent cyclability over 800 cycles, a high areal capacity of 6.81 ​mA ​h ​cm² at a high sulfur loading (10.5 ​mg). More importantly, soft package battery was also prepared with a capacity of 530 ​mAh g⁻¹ and 46.5 ​mAh in the first cycle at a sulfur loading of 4.5 ​mg ​cm⁻², which reveals its potential in promoting the practical application of Li–S batteries.