Metal oxide-mediated differential chalcogen morphogenesis for Li-chalcogen battery application

Highlights: • A new concept of controlled chalcogen nanostructure synthesis is established. • Metal oxide substrate composition controls chalcogen nanostructure morphology. • Morphology-performance correlation is demonstrated in Li-chalcogen battery. Chalcogens, especially sulfur and selenium, have wide-ranging applications, from pharmaceuticals to catalysis and energy storage. Size and morphology control are critical factors advancing the applications of sulfur and selenium. In this study, a new methodology for chalcogen nanostructure morphology control is established. The concept is based on harnessing the differential interaction of metal oxides with polysulfides and polyselenides to control the chalcogen nanostructure. Metal oxide substrates of varying compositions induce the formation of a wide range of multidimensional chalcogen morphologies, including nanoparticles and hollow nanospheres (0D), nanowires and nanocables (1D), uniform nanocoating (2D), and hollow-shell networks and multipods (3D). The chalcogen nanostructures are applied as Li-chalcogen battery cathodes. Battery testing shows direct structure-performance correlation, which favors smaller chalcogen size and shapes that allow closer contact with the substrate. Metal oxide-mediated chalcogen morphology control is a general strategy that can be applied to other fields for the advancement of chalcogen-based applications.