Porous Carbon Paper as Interlayer to Stabilize the Lithium Anode for Lithium–Sulfur Battery

The lithium–sulfur (Li–S) battery is expected to be the high-energy battery system for the next generation. Nevertheless, the degradation of lithium anode in Li–S battery is the crucial obstacle for practical application. In this work, a porous carbon paper obtained from corn stalks via simple treating procedures is used as interlayer to stabilize the surface morphology of Li anode in the environment of Li–S battery. A smooth surface morphology of Li is obtained during cycling by introducing the porous carbon paper into Li–S battery. Meanwhile, the electrochemical performance of sulfur cathode is partially enhanced by alleviating the loss of soluble intermediates (polysulfides) into the electrolyte, as well as the side reaction of polysulfides with metallic lithium. The Li–S battery assembled with the interlayer exhibits a large capacity and excellent capacity retention. Therefore, the porous carbon paper as interlayer plays a bifunctional role in stabilizing the Li anode and enhancing the electrochemical performance of the sulfur cathode for constructing a stable Li–S battery.