Single-step laser-printed integrated sulfur cathode toward high-performance lithium–sulfur batteries

Abstract Lithium–sulfur batteries are expected to supersede existing lithium-ion batteries due to the high theoretical energy density of sulfur cathodes (positive electrodes). Unfortunately, inefficient redox reactions and the “shuttle effect” hinder their commercial development. Assembling high-performance nanostructured sulfur host materials into a sulfur cathode presents a viable solution. However, fabricating host materials and preparing sulfur cathodes involve complicated, multistep, and labor-intensive processes under varying temperatures and conditions, raising concerns about efficiency and cost in practical production. Herein, we propose a single-step laser printing strategy to prepare high-performance integrated sulfur cathodes. During the high-throughput laser-pulse irradiation process, the precursor donor is activated, producing jetting particles that include in-situ synthesized halloysite-based hybrid nanotubes, sulfur, and glucose-derived porous carbon. After laser printing, a composite layer, containing host materials, active materials, and conductive components, is uniformly coated onto a carbon fabric acceptor, forming an integrated sulfur cathode. The laser-printed sulfur cathodes exhibit high reversible capacity and low capacity attenuation during cycling measurements. Furthermore, the laser-printed high-loading samples show high performance in both coin and pouch lithium–sulfur cells. This strategy would simplify the fabrication process in lithium–sulfur battery industry and inspire advancements in other battery research.