Lithium–sulfur
battery, a promising candidate for rechargeable
battery, has aroused wide attention since the traits of high theoretical
energy density and low cost. Nevertheless, issues of poor conductivity,
severe volume change during cycling, and particular deleterious shuttle
effects impede the commercialization of lithium–sulfur batteries.
Herein, a convenient and scalable method via electrostatic self-assembly
and in situ solvothermal strategies is employed to prepare three-dimensional
hierarchical nMOF-867/Ti3C2T
x
. In this advantageous heterostructure, nMOF-867 with rich porosity not only provides the accommodation
of sulfur but also enables chemical binding of polysulfides through
stable double bonds (Li–N and Zr–S bond), while the
distribution of nMOF-867 on the highly conductive
Ti3C2T
x
would promote
redox conversion kinetics of adsorbed polysulfides. Furthermore, structurally
stable nMOF-867/Ti3C2T
x
can serve as a buffer to reduce the volume
expansion during the charge/discharge process. Hence, nMOF-867/Ti3C2T
x
, the sulfur host of lithium–sulfur batteries, exhibits a
high reversible capacity of 1302 mAh g–1 at 0.2
C and a remarkable rate capability of 581 mAh g–1 at 4 C. Impressively, a high initial capacity of 801 mAh g–1 can be retained at 1 C, with the slight capacity fading rate of
0.054% per cycle over 1000 charge/discharge cycles. This work provides
the inspiration to generally fabricate the well-designed MXene-based
nanocomposites for lithium–sulfur batteries with good performance.