Citation: Caili Lv, Yihai Song, Yi Feng, Tianbo Li, Yun Dong Cao, Linlin Fan, Hong Liu, Jiayuan Zhang, Guanggang Gao. High-nuclear polyoxomolybdate/copper nanocluster composites facilitating long-life and flash-charge Li-S batteries through synergistic polysulfide catalysis[J]. Chinese Chemical Letters, ;2026, 37(11): 112867. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2026.112867 shu

High-nuclear polyoxomolybdate/copper nanocluster composites facilitating long-life and flash-charge Li-S batteries through synergistic polysulfide catalysis

School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Jinan, Ji'nan 250022, China

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mse_caoyd@ujn.edu.cn

mse_liuh@ujn.edu.cn

mse_gaogg@ujn.edu.cn

Received Date: 23 January 2026
Revised Date: 23 April 2026
Accepted Date: 29 April 2026
Available Online: 30 April 2026

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The sluggish redox kinetics and limited conversion efficiency of lithium polysulfides (LiPSs) constitute major bottlenecks in achieving optimized sulfur utilization and long-term cycling stability in lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries. This study addresses above challenge by constructing a highly efficient synergistic catalyst (Cu₂₀−Mo₁₅₄) via the hydrogen-bonding assembly of atomically precise copper nanoclusters (Cu₂₀) and high-nuclear polyoxomolybdate clusters (Mo₁₅₄) into a supramolecular composite. When deployed as a functional separator coating in Li-S batteries, the Cu₂₀−Mo₁₅₄ composite effectively captures LiPSs and catalytically promotes their conversion to insoluble lithium sulfides (Li₂S/Li₂S₂) through synergistic effects. The supramolecular architecture crucially inhibits the dissolution of individual clusters in the electrolyte, preserving the catalyst's integrity and activity. Mechanism investigations reveal that Mo₁₅₄ provides the primary catalytic sites, while the Cu₂₀ clusters facilitate efficient electro-transport, collectively stabilizing the structure and enhancing the overall catalytic performance. As a result, the batteries equipped with the Cu₂₀−Mo₁₅₄ modified separator exhibit exceptional cycling stability, sustaining over 1000 cycles with remarkable capacity retention at a high rate of 10 C, which represents a performance metric rarely achieved in Li-S batteries. This work demonstrates a novel cluster-assembly strategy to attain exceptional synergistic catalytic performance for LiPSs conversion, offering a promising technical route for the development of high-energy-density and fast-charging Li-S batteries.
- Copper clusters,
- High-nuclear polyoxomolybdate,
- Lithium sulfur batteries,
- Synergistic catalysis,
- Catalytic conversion of polysulfides
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