A Chiral Electrocatalyst for High-Performance Aluminum–Sulfur Battery

Aluminum-sulfur (Al-S) batteries are regarded as promising electrochemical energy storage systems due to their high energy density, cost-effectiveness, and environmental compatibility. However, their practical application is hindered by sluggish sulfur conversion kinetics. Although certain achievements have been made, conventional strategies for modulating the spin state of electrocatalysts, such as heteroatom doping or lattice strain engineering, exhibit inherent limitations in optimizing electron orbital interactions. Herein, we report a novel MoS₂ electrocatalyst with spin orientation manipulation achieved through the chiral-induced spin selectivity (CISS) effect. This approach couples chiral molecules with layered MoS₂ to regulate the spin polarization of molybdenum atoms, thereby enhancing the sulfur redox kinetics without relying on chemical modification. Electrochemical analyses demonstrated that the cathode with chiral MoS₂ delivers a reversible specific capacity of ∼700 mAh g⁻¹ at 2 A g⁻¹ over 3000 cycles, accompanied by improved sulfur utilization efficiency. This work not only provides a paradigm for designing high-performance electrocatalysts in sulfur-based batteries but also highlights the critical role of spin effects in electrocatalytic systems, offering new perspectives for the innovation of electrocatalyst materials in batteries.