Interfacial Chemical Regulation of Lithium Polysulfides by Fe3O4 Nanowire Modified Carbon Cloth in Lithium Sulfur Batteries

Herein, a CC@Fe3O4 nanowire-modified carbon cloth composite was constructed to investigate the interfacial chemistries and catalytic features pertaining to lithium polysulfides. The carbon cloth sheathed by one-dimensional Fe3O4 nanowires provides abundant polar active sites as well as highly conductive electron pathways. The CC@Fe3O4 composite exhibits a suppressed shuttle effect of lithium polysulfides. Visual adsorption experiments and UV-visible spectroscopy confirm the strong chemical bonding between CC@Fe3O4 and lithium polysulfides. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy reveals the formation of Fe–S and Li–O interfacial bonds, which stabilizes a dual-site chemical anchoring mechanism. The polysulfide redox kinetics, evaluated in symmetrical cells, demonstrate that Fe3O4 nanowires serve as efficient catalysts to accelerate the electrochemical conversion of sulfur species. Benefiting from these features, the composite delivers higher Li+ diffusion coefficients and lower charge-transfer resistance. These results verify that CC@Fe3O4 establishes a chemically regulated and catalytically active interface, enabling simultaneous immobilization and rapid conversion of lithium polysulfides. This work provides a mechanistic insight into polar metal-oxide nanowire hosts and offers guidance for the rational design of advanced sulfur cathodes for lithium-sulfur batteries.