Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have been an area
of intense
research for their high porosity and synthetic tunability, which afford
them controllable physical and chemical properties for various applications.
In this study, we demonstrate that functionalized MOFs can be used
to mitigate the so-called polysulfide shuttle effect in lithium–sulfur
batteries, a promising next-generation energy storage device. UiO-66-OH,
a zirconium-based MOF with 2-hydroxyterephthalic acid, was functionalized
with a phosphorus chloride species that was subsequently used to tether
polysulfides. In addition, a molecular chlorophosphorane was synthesized
as a model system to elucidate the chemical reactivity of the phosphorus
moiety. The functionalized MOFs were then used as a cathode additive
in coin cell batteries to inhibit the dissolution of polysulfides
in solution. Through this work, we show that the functionalization
of MOF with phosphorus enhances polysulfide redox and thereby capacity
retention in Li–S batteries. While demonstrated here for polysulfide
tethering in batteries, we envision this linker functionalization
strategy could be more broadly utilized in separations, sensing, or
catalysis applications.