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Vol. 18 (2026)

Single-Metal-Anchored 1D Mesoporous Channels to Enable Accelerated Redox Kinetics for Lithium-Sulfur Batteries

https://doi.org/10.1007/s40820-026-02177-w
Dequn Zhao
Key Laboratory of Chemical Additives for China National Light Industry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xi’an 710021, People’s Republic of China
Shun Wang
Key Laboratory of Chemical Additives for China National Light Industry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xi’an 710021, People’s Republic of China
Yanan Zhang
Key Laboratory of Chemical Additives for China National Light Industry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xi’an 710021, People’s Republic of China
Xingxing Zhang
Flexible Energy Storage and Interfacial Chemistry Key Laboratory of Shaanxi University, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xi’an 710021, People’s Republic of China
Xuehan Hou
Key Laboratory of Chemical Additives for China National Light Industry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xi’an 710021, People’s Republic of China
Hong Wang
Shanghai Lingfang Energy Co. Ltd., Shanghai 201100, People’s Republic of China
Xiangyu Liu
State Key Laboratory of High‑Efficiency Utilization of Coal and Green Chemical Engineering, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Ningxia University, Yinchuan 750021, People’s Republic of China
Feiyang Yin
School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hainan University, 58 Renmin Avenue, Haikou 570228, People’s Republic of China
Wei Zhou
School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hainan University, 58 Renmin Avenue, Haikou 570228, People’s Republic of China
Wenhuan Huang
Key Laboratory of Chemical Additives for China National Light Industry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xi’an 710021, People’s Republic of China

Corresponding Author: Wenhuan Huang

huangwenhuan@sust.edu.cn

Nano-Micro Letters, Vol. 18 (2026), Article Number: 340

Abstract

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have been demonstrated as promising separators for lithium-sulfur batteries (LSBs) owing to their highly tunable porous structures and intrinsic metal sites, which can guide uniform Li+ deposition, catalyze polysulfide conversion, and suppress polysulfide shuttling. However, conventional MOFs often have insufficient catalytic activity and Li+ transport control, and the role of their internal pore structure in regulating Li+ flux and polysulfide conversion remains unclear, limiting their effectiveness as high-performance separators. Herein, we report a series of azolate hybrid frameworks (M-AHF-DPDC, M = Fe, Co, Ni) featuring one-dimensional anionically charged channels that implement a dual-function regulation mechanism, simultaneously promoting uniform Li+ flux and catalyzing polysulfide conversion. Incorporation of Fe centers significantly enhances polysulfide redox kinetics, resulting in superior electrochemical performance, including a high initial capacity of 1400.7 mAh g−1 and stable cycling over 700 cycles at 1 C, along with uniform Li+ deposition, outperforming most reported MOF-based separators. Density functional theory calculations confirm that Fe sites strongly adsorb and catalytically convert diverse polysulfides, promoting rapid sulfur species transformation. This work demonstrates that the synergistic combination of polysulfide blocking and catalytic conversion enhances LSBs performance and offers a feasible strategy for high-energy–density rechargeable lithium-sulfur batteries.


Highlights:
1 An innovative azolate hybrid framework featuring dual-functional one-dimensional lithiophilic channels was constructed and applied to designing M-AHF-DPDC (M = Fe, Co, Ni) separator. Its unique framework design, equipped with lithiophilic channels and dense Fe active sites, enables uniform Li+ transport and efficient catalytic activity.
2 The Fe-AHF-DPDC-modified separator significantly enhances the cycling stability and energy density of Li–S batteries while effectively suppressing the polysulfide shuttle effect.
3 Through in situ Raman spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations, the strong adsorption capability and catalytic conversion mechanism of Fe-AHF-DPDC toward lithium polysulfides were elucidated.

Keywords

Azolate hybrid frameworks Lithium-sulfur batteries Polysulfide conversion Li flux Dual-function regulation
Zhao, Dequn, Shun Wang, Yanan Zhang, Xingxing Zhang, Xuehan Hou, Hong Wang, Xiangyu Liu, Feiyang Yin, Wei Zhou, and Wenhuan Huang. 2026. “Single-Metal-Anchored 1D Mesoporous Channels to Enable Accelerated Redox Kinetics for Lithium-Sulfur Batteries”. Nano-Micro Letters 18 (April):340. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40820-026-02177-w.
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