Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries can provide far higher energy density than currently commercialized lithium ion batteries, but challenges remain before it they are used in practice. One of the challenges is the shuttle effect that originates from soluble intermediates, like lithium polysulfides. To address this issue, we report a novel laminar composite, N,O-carboxymethyl chitosan-reduced graphene oxide (CC-rGO), which is manufactured via the self-assembly of CC onto GO and subsequent reduction of GO under an extreme condition of 1 Pa and −50 ℃. The synthesized laminar CC-rGO composite is mixed with acetylene black (AB) and coated on a commercial polypropylene (PP) membrane, resulting in a separator (CC-rGO/AB/PP) that can not only completely suppress the polysulfides penetration, but also can accelerate the lithium ion transportation, providing a Li-S battery with excellent cyclic stability and rate capability. As confirmed by theoretic simulations, this unique feature of CC-rGO is attributed to its strong repulsive interaction to polysulfide anions and its benefit for fast lithium ion transportation through the paths paved by the heteroatoms in CC.

A novel hybrid, highly dispersed spinel Co-Mo sulfide nanoparticles on reduced graphene oxide (Co₃S₄/CoMo₂S₄@rGO), is reported as anode for lithium and sodium ion storage. The hybrid is synthesized by one-step hydrothermal method but exhibits excellent lithium and sodium storage performances. The as-synthesized Co₃S₄/CoMo₂S₄@rGO presents reversible capacity of 595.4 mA·h·g^-1 and 408.8 mA·h·g^-1 after 100 cycles at a current density of 0.2 A·g^-1 for lithium and sodium ion storages, respectively. Such superior performances are attributed to the unique composition and structure of Co₃S₄/CoMo₂S₄@rGO. The rGO provides a good electronically conductive network and ensures the formation of spinel Co₃S₄/CoMo₂S₄ nanoparticles, the Co₃S₄/CoMo₂S₄ nanoparticles provide large reaction surface for lithium and sodium intercalation/deintercalation, and the spinel structure allows fast lithium and sodium ion diffusion in three dimensions.

Lithium metal anode for batteries has attracted extensive attentions, but its application is restricted by the hazardous dendritic Li growth and dead Li formation. To address these issues, a novel Li anode is developed by infiltrating molten Li metal into conductive carbon cloth decorated with zinc oxide arrays. In carbonate-based electrolyte, the symmetric cell shows no short circuit over 1, 500 h at 1 mAdcm^-2, and stable voltage profiles at 3 mAdcm^-2 for ~ 300 h cycling. A low overpotential of ~ 243 mV over 350 cycles at a high current density of 10 mAdcm^-2 is achieved, compared to the seriously fluctuated voltage and fast short circuit in the cell using bare Li metal. Meanwhile, the asymmetric cell withstands 1, 000 cycles at 10 C (1 C = 167 mAhdg^-1) compared to the 210 cycles for the cell using bare Li anode. The excellent performance is attributed to the well-regulated Li plating/stripping driven from the formation of LiZn alloy on the wavy carbon fibers, resulting in the suppression of dendrite growth and pulverization of the Li electrode during cycling.