Cathode Electrolyte Interphase Engineering by Quaternized Chitosan for Stabilized Li–SPAN Batteries

Sulfurized polyacrylonitrile (SPAN) represents a highly promising cathode material for lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries, leveraging a solid-solid sulfur conversion mechanism. However, persistent interfacial side reactions and sluggish redox kinetics in SPAN cathodes compromise the electrochemical performance. Here, quaternized chitosan (QCS) is employed as a functional agent to stabilize the SPAN cathode electrolyte interphase (CEI). The positively charged quaternary ammonium groups selectively adsorb PF 6 – anions, modifying the Helmholtz layer structure and facilitating the formation of an anion-derived CEI enriched with LiF. Consequently, the SPAN@QCS-1.0% cathode delivers a high discharge capacity of 1499 mAh g −1 at 0.2 C, an outstanding rate capability of 902 mAh g −1 at 10 C, and a prolonged cycle life exceeding 1500 cycles at 1 C. Under practical conditions of high sulfur loading (12.0 mg cm −2 ) and lean electrolyte (E/S ratio = 5 µL mg −1 ), the SPAN cell achieves a high areal capacity of 17.1 mAh cm −2 , surpassing that of conventional lithium–ion batteries (≈4 mAh cm −2 ) by more than fourfold. Furthermore, a 0.9 Ah pouch-cell prototype demonstrates stable cycling for over 30 cycles. The interface strategy provides a facile and effective approach to developing high-performance SPAN-based Li–S batteries.