Tensile-strained Mxene/carbon nanotube (CNT) porous microspheres were developed as an electrocatalyst for the lithium polysulfide (LiPS) redoxr eaction. The internal stress on the surface results in lattice distortion with expanding TiÀTi bonds,e ndowing the Mxene nanosheet with abundant active sites and regulating the d-band center of Ti atoms upshifted closer to the Fermi level, leading to strengthened LiPS adsorbability and accelerated catalytic conversion. The macroporous framework offers uniformed sulfur distribution, potent sulfur immobilization, and large surface area. The composite interwoven by CNT tentacle enhances conductivity and prevents the restacking of Mxene sheets.This combination of tensile strain effect and hierarchical architecture design results in smooth and favorable trapping-diffusion-conversion of LiPS on the interface.T he Li-S battery exhibits an initial capacity of 1451 mAh g À1 at 0.2 C, rate capability up to 8C,and prolonged cycle life.

energy needs. [1] Recently, lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries emerged as a promising energy storage system candidate. The main reasons lie in the high specific capacity, natural abundance, and environmental compatibility of sulfur. [2] However, the widespread application of Li-S batteries has been limited by some intractable technical challenges, particularly the notorious shuttle effect of lithium polysulfide (LPS) intermediates, and the intrinsically sluggish reaction kinetics of sulfur redox reactions. [3] To overcome these obstacles, sulfur host materials have been developed to stockpile sulfur and alleviate LPS shuttling. Carbon-based materials have been generally investigated as a multifunctional sulfur scaffold, owing to the high conductivity, low cost, and good structural tailorability. [4] The good electrical conductivity of carbon enables fast electron transport for electrochemical process, while the large surface area and high porosity provide physical confinement for LPS. However, carbon materials suffer from low binding capability to LPS, resulting in limited constraint of shuttle effect, which causes low coulombic efficiency during cycling and fast capacity fading. [5] Given this, the modification of carbon lattice structure has been proposed as valid strategy to strengthen the sulfur adsorbability and thusThe ORCID identification number(s) for the author(s) of this article can be found under

In article number 2100497, Xin Wang, Zhongwei Chen and co‐workers develop a hierarchical porous carbon nanotube microsphere with abundant intrinsic topological defects in the carbon lattice, which promotes sulfur reaction kinetics. The intrinsic carbon defect engineering holds great promise in the development of high‐performance Li–S batteries as well as other related energy storage areas.

An efficient, industry-accepted spray drying method was used to synthesize micro-spherical sulfur/graphene oxide (S/GO) composites as cathode materials within lithium sulfur batteries. The as-designed wrapping of the sulfur-nanoparticles, with wrinkled GO composites, was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The unique morphological design of this material enabled superior discharge capacity and cycling performance, demonstrating a high initial discharge capacity of 1400 mAh g−1 at 0.1 C. The discharge capacity remained at 828 mAh g−1 after 150 cycles. The superior electrochemical performance indicates that the S/GO composite improves electrical conductivity and alleviates the shuttle effect. This study represents the first time such a facile spray drying method has been adopted for lithium sulfur batteries and used in the fabrication of S/GO composites.

Tensile-strained Mxene/carbon nanotube (CNT) porous microspheres were developed as an electrocatalyst for the lithium polysulfide (LiPS) redoxr eaction. The internal stress on the surface results in lattice distortion with expanding TiÀTi bonds,e ndowing the Mxene nanosheet with abundant active sites and regulating the d-band center of Ti atoms upshifted closer to the Fermi level, leading to strengthened LiPS adsorbability and accelerated catalytic conversion. The macroporous framework offers uniformed sulfur distribution, potent sulfur immobilization, and large surface area. The composite interwoven by CNT tentacle enhances conductivity and prevents the restacking of Mxene sheets.This combination of tensile strain effect and hierarchical architecture design results in smooth and favorable trapping-diffusion-conversion of LiPS on the interface.T he Li-S battery exhibits an initial capacity of 1451 mAh g À1 at 0.2 C, rate capability up to 8C,and prolonged cycle life.