Dimension-controlled N-doped graphitic carbon nanostructures through low-temperature metal-catalyzed transformation from C3N4 for high-performance electrochemical barrier in lithium-sulfur batteries

Abstract

Continuous efforts have been devoted to establishing viable synthetic guidelines for dimension-controlled carbon nanomaterials. This paper proposes a dimension-convertible synthetic procedure based on metal-organic com-plexes. One-or two-dimensional carbon nanostructures can be developed through the different graphitization behaviors of metal-organic complexes according to the selected metal ions. These nanostructures possess vital functions from surface nitrogen functionalities and embedded metal species for a wide range of applications. These distinctive structural functions are applied to functionalize the general separator as an electrochemical barrier for lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries. Benefiting from the polysulfide blocking function and electrocatalytic effect, the resulting separator Li-S cells exhibit high-rate capability and stable cycling performance. The remarkable performance combined with comprehensive characterization of the resulting dimension-controlled carbon nanomaterials provides new insights into the design of functional nanomaterials for energy and envi-ronmental research.