Lithium–sulfur battery cathode design:Sulfur-infiltrated PVDF nanofiber-based Fe3O4 network for polysulfide adsorption and volume expansion suppression

A sustainable polymer/nanomagnetic (PVDF/Fe3O4) composite nanofiber membrane is prepared on the Al current collector using electrospinning to serve as matrix for sulfur. The paramagnetic adsorption of polysulfides by Fe3O4 can suppress the shuttling effect, and the PVDF reserves as an elastic skeleton for alleviating volume changes of sulfur cathode. The results show that the cathode with PVDF/Fe3O4 composite nanofiber membrane has an initial discharge capacity of 1555.5 mA h g−1 at a rate of 0.1 C, and remains at 994.7 mA h g−1 after 300 cycles, showing a better cycle life than others without Fe3O4 or PVDF. This work provides a strategy for further promoting the commercialization of lithium-sulfur batteries.