Vanadyl Complex-Mediated Molecular Engineering Enables Homogeneous Modulation of Lithium-Sulfur Chemistry.

The large-scale commercial application of lithium-sulfur batteries (LSBs) is hindered by several critical challenges, including severe lithium polysulfide shuttling, sluggish kinetics of sulfur redox reactions, and unstable lithium anode surface. These issues significantly restrict the discharge capacity, cycling life, and safety of LSBs. Herein, the vanadyl acetylacetonate (VO) complex, characterized by a high donor number, is used as an effective homogeneous catalyst to address these cross-cutting problems.