{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,9]],"date-time":"2026-04-09T09:24:32Z","timestamp":1775726672082,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":44,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"8","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,9]],"date-time":"2026-04-09T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1775692800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Nanomaterials"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Lithium\u2013sulfur batteries (LSBs) offer a theoretical energy density of 2600 Wh kg\u22121 but suffer from the polysulfide shuttle effect, which causes rapid capacity decay and limits practical application. To address this, we developed a bifunctional separator coating using Ni-doped \u03b1-MnO2 combined with carbon nanotubes (Ni-MnO2\/CNTs). Ni doping induces lattice expansion due to the larger Ni2+ ionic radius, modulating the electronic structure to create more active sites, enhance electrical conductivity, and improve polysulfide adsorption and redox kinetics. The needle-like morphology further strengthens physical\/chemical confinement of polysulfides and accelerates conversion reactions. Batteries with the Ni-MnO2\/CNTs-modified separator deliver a high-rate capacity of 813 mAh g\u22121 at 5 C and exhibit a low capacity decay rate of 0.0399% per cycle over 1500 cycles at 2 C. Even under high sulfur loading (\u223c10 mg cm\u22122) and lean electrolyte conditions (10 \u03bcL mg\u22121), the cell maintains stable cycling with a decay rate of 0.0929% per cycle over 300 cycles at 0.2 C. This lattice-modulation strategy on commercial separators provides a simple, effective pathway toward high-energy-density, long-life LSBs.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/nano16080449","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,9]],"date-time":"2026-04-09T07:48:07Z","timestamp":1775720887000},"page":"449","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Optimization of Lithium\u2013Sulfur Battery Performance via Nickel-Doped \u03b1-MnO2 Modified Separator"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"16","author":[{"given":"Zhengtao","family":"Zhao","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Soochow University, Suzhou 215127, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Lin","family":"Wan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Electronic Information, Hubei Engineering Institute, Huangshi 435003, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1661-9855","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jiahui","family":"Chen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Materials and Energy, Foshan University, Foshan 528200, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2324-5604","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Huangqing","family":"Ye","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Materials Science and Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,9]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"721","DOI":"10.1016\/j.carbon.2021.07.053","article-title":"Carbon-based materials for fast charging lithium-ion batteries","volume":"183","author":"Li","year":"2021","journal-title":"Carbon"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1008","DOI":"10.1016\/j.rser.2015.12.009","article-title":"A review on electric vehicle battery modelling: From Lithium-ion toward Lithium-Sulphur","volume":"56","author":"Fotouhi","year":"2016","journal-title":"Renew. Sustain. Energy Rev."},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"25147","DOI":"10.1021\/acsami.9b05628","article-title":"Single-Atom Coated Separator for Robust Lithium-Sulfur Batteries","volume":"11","author":"Zhang","year":"2019","journal-title":"ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces"},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2003666","DOI":"10.1002\/adma.202003666","article-title":"Advances in Lithium-Sulfur Batteries: From Academic Research to Commercial Viability","volume":"33","author":"Chen","year":"2021","journal-title":"Adv. Mater."},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"17734","DOI":"10.1039\/C7TA00799J","article-title":"Cathode materials for lithium-sulfur batteries: A practical perspective","volume":"5","author":"Eftekhari","year":"2017","journal-title":"J. Mater. Chem. A"},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"343","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cej.2018.04.112","article-title":"A review on anode for lithium-sulfur batteries: Progress and prospects","volume":"347","author":"Zhao","year":"2018","journal-title":"Chem. Eng. J."},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"874","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cej.2019.03.145","article-title":"The recent research status quo and the prospect of electrolytes for lithium sulfur batteries","volume":"369","author":"Fan","year":"2019","journal-title":"Chem. Eng. J."},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"370","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jechem.2022.06.035","article-title":"Solid-state electrolytes for solid-state lithium-sulfur batteries: Comparisons, advances and prospects","volume":"73","author":"Liang","year":"2022","journal-title":"J. Energy Chem."},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"142","DOI":"10.1016\/j.mattod.2018.04.007","article-title":"Combining theory and experiment in lithium-sulfur batteries: Current progress and future perspectives","volume":"22","author":"Chen","year":"2019","journal-title":"Mater. Today"},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2533","DOI":"10.1016\/j.chempr.2020.06.032","article-title":"Exploring and Understanding the Roles of Li2Sn and the Strategies to beyond Present Li-S Batteries","volume":"6","author":"Lei","year":"2020","journal-title":"Chem"},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"15734","DOI":"10.1021\/acsnano.2c08581","article-title":"Understanding the Catalytic Kinetics of Polysulfide Redox Reactions on Transition Metal Compounds in Li\u2013S Batteries","volume":"16","author":"Wu","year":"2022","journal-title":"ACS Nano"},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1802207","DOI":"10.1002\/aenm.201802207","article-title":"Solvent-Mediated Li2S Electrodeposition: A Critical Manipulator in Lithium-Sulfur Batteries","volume":"9","author":"Li","year":"2018","journal-title":"Adv. Energy Mater."},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2307950","DOI":"10.1002\/smll.202307950","article-title":"Platinum Electrocatalyst Promoting Redox Kinetics of Li2S and Regulating Li2S Nucleation for Lithium-Sulfur Batteries","volume":"20","author":"Han","year":"2023","journal-title":"Small"},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"79","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ensm.2022.02.001","article-title":"Single-atom tailoring of Li2S to Form Li2S2 for building better lithium-sulfur batteries","volume":"47","author":"Zha","year":"2022","journal-title":"Energy Storage Mater."},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2214206","DOI":"10.1002\/adfm.202214206","article-title":"A Multifunctional Catalytic Interlayer for Propelling Solid-Solid Conversion Kinetics of Li2S2 to Li2S in Lithium-Sulfur Batteries","volume":"33","author":"Zuo","year":"2023","journal-title":"Adv. Funct. Mater."},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"5203","DOI":"10.1002\/adma.201501559","article-title":"Mechanism and Kinetics of Li2S Precipitation in Lithium-Sulfur Batteries","volume":"27","author":"Fan","year":"2015","journal-title":"Adv. Mater."},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2203540","DOI":"10.1002\/aenm.202203540","article-title":"Covalent Organic Framework Based Lithium-Sulfur Batteries: Materials, Interfaces, and Solid-State Electrolytes","volume":"13","author":"Hu","year":"2023","journal-title":"Adv. Energy Mater."},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ensm.2017.07.015","article-title":"Facilitation of sulfur evolution reaction by pyridinic nitrogen doped carbon nanoflakes for highly-stable lithium-sulfur batteries","volume":"10","author":"Yuan","year":"2018","journal-title":"Energy Storage Mater."},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"12","DOI":"10.1007\/s40820-023-01223-1","article-title":"Engineering Strategies for Suppressing the Shuttle Effect in Lithium-Sulfur Batteries","volume":"16","author":"Li","year":"2023","journal-title":"Nano-Micro Lett."},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"289","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ensm.2022.11.053","article-title":"Modeling the volumetric expansion of the lithium-sulfur battery considering charge and discharge profiles","volume":"55","author":"Brieske","year":"2023","journal-title":"Energy Storage Mater."},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"109644","DOI":"10.1016\/j.compositesb.2022.109644","article-title":"Designing thermotolerant and flame-resistant PAN-based separator via surface engineering with heteroatoms doped carbon framework encapsulated with CoS2 nanocatalysts towards safe lithium-sulfur batteries","volume":"233","author":"Wang","year":"2022","journal-title":"Compos. Part B Eng."},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"4991","DOI":"10.1021\/acsaem.2c00367","article-title":"Sustainable \u201cSweet and Salty\u201d Synthesis of Hierarchical Porous Carbon for Lithium-Sulfur Batteries","volume":"5","author":"Hencz","year":"2022","journal-title":"ACS Appl. Energy Mater."},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"123904","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cej.2019.123904","article-title":"Phosphorus-sulfur\/graphene composites as flexible lithium-sulfur battery cathodes with super high volumetric capacity","volume":"387","author":"Chuang","year":"2020","journal-title":"Chem. Eng. J."},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"124404","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cej.2020.124404","article-title":"A high-resilience and conductive composite binder for lithium-sulfur batteries","volume":"389","author":"Zheng","year":"2020","journal-title":"Chem. Eng. J."},{"key":"ref_25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"5520","DOI":"10.1039\/D3TA07591E","article-title":"An electrolyte additive of bromoxoindole enables uniform Li-ion flux and tunable Li2S deposition for high-performance lithium-sulfur batteries","volume":"12","author":"Zou","year":"2024","journal-title":"J. Mater. Chem. A"},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"24173","DOI":"10.1039\/C9TA06971B","article-title":"A high performance all solid state lithium sulfur battery with lithium thiophosphate solid electrolyte","volume":"7","author":"Bonnick","year":"2019","journal-title":"J. Mater. Chem. A"},{"key":"ref_27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"101345","DOI":"10.1016\/j.mtener.2023.101345","article-title":"Crown ether complex-incorporated Li-ion selective separators for high-performance Li-S batteries","volume":"36","author":"An","year":"2023","journal-title":"Mater. Today Energy"},{"key":"ref_28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"305","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cej.2017.08.015","article-title":"Enhanced performance of lithium-sulfur batteries with high sulfur loading utilizing ion selective MWCNT\/SPANI modified separator","volume":"334","author":"Shi","year":"2018","journal-title":"Chem. Eng. J."},{"key":"ref_29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"132678","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cej.2021.132678","article-title":"A copolymer microspheres-coated separator to enhance thermal stability of lithium-sulfur batteries","volume":"430","author":"Wei","year":"2022","journal-title":"Chem. Eng. J."},{"key":"ref_30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2301006","DOI":"10.1002\/advs.202301006","article-title":"Confronting Sulfur Electrode Passivation and Li Metal Electrode Degradation in Lithium-Sulfur Batteries Using Thiocyanate Anion","volume":"10","author":"Jung","year":"2023","journal-title":"Adv. Sci."},{"key":"ref_31","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"4438","DOI":"10.1007\/s12274-022-5215-4","article-title":"Electrocatalysts in lithium-sulfur batteries","volume":"16","author":"Wang","year":"2023","journal-title":"Nano Res."},{"key":"ref_32","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"7833","DOI":"10.1039\/D2TA09266B","article-title":"Recent advances in modified commercial separators for lithium\u2013sulfur batteries","volume":"11","author":"Kim","year":"2023","journal-title":"J. Mater. Chem. A"},{"key":"ref_33","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1702607","DOI":"10.1002\/aenm.201702607","article-title":"Updated Metal Compounds (MOFs, S, OH, N, C) Used as Cathode Materials for Lithium-Sulfur Batteries","volume":"8","author":"Xu","year":"2018","journal-title":"Adv. Energy Mater."},{"key":"ref_34","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2001056","DOI":"10.1002\/smtd.202001056","article-title":"Polyaniline Encapsulated Amorphous V2O5 Nanowire-Modified Multi-Functional Separators for Lithium-Sulfur Batteries","volume":"5","author":"Chen","year":"2021","journal-title":"Small Methods"},{"key":"ref_35","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e202300507","DOI":"10.1002\/cssc.202300507","article-title":"Mott-Schottky MXene WS2 Heterostructure Structural and Thermodynamic Insights and Application","volume":"16","author":"Wang","year":"2023","journal-title":"ChemSusChem"},{"key":"ref_36","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"127521","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cej.2020.127521","article-title":"Yolk-shell porous carbon spheres@CoSe2 nanosheets as multilayer defenses system of polysulfide for advanced Li-S batteries","volume":"413","author":"Guo","year":"2021","journal-title":"Chem. Eng. J."},{"key":"ref_37","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1703638","DOI":"10.1002\/aenm.201703638","article-title":"High-Performance and Low-Temperature Lithium-Sulfur Batteries: Synergism of Thermodynamic and Kinetic Regulation","volume":"8","author":"Fan","year":"2018","journal-title":"Adv. Energy Mater."},{"key":"ref_38","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e12483","DOI":"10.1002\/eom2.12483","article-title":"Addressing electrode passivation in lithium\u2013sulfur batteries by site-selective morphology-controlled Li2S formation","volume":"6","author":"Kim","year":"2024","journal-title":"EcoMat"},{"key":"ref_39","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"124244","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cej.2020.124244","article-title":"Synergy of Mn and Ni enhanced catalytic performance for toluene combustion over Ni-doped \u03b1-MnO2 catalysts","volume":"388","author":"Dong","year":"2020","journal-title":"Chem. Eng. J."},{"key":"ref_40","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"354","DOI":"10.1016\/j.carbon.2015.08.050","article-title":"Encapsulating selenium into macro-\/micro-porous biochar-based framework for high-performance lithium-selenium batteries","volume":"95","author":"Zhang","year":"2015","journal-title":"Carbon"},{"key":"ref_41","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"132167","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cej.2021.132167","article-title":"Decorating CoSe2 on N-doped carbon nanotubes as catalysts and efficient polysulfides traps for Li-S batteries","volume":"429","author":"Su","year":"2022","journal-title":"Chem. Eng. J."},{"key":"ref_42","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"129166","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cej.2021.129166","article-title":"Mechanism investigation of iron selenide as polysulfide mediator for long-life lithium-sulfur batteries","volume":"416","author":"Sun","year":"2021","journal-title":"Chem. Eng. J."},{"key":"ref_43","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"555","DOI":"10.1038\/s41929-022-00804-4","article-title":"Cation-doped ZnS catalysts for polysulfide conversion in lithium\u2013sulfur batteries","volume":"5","author":"Shen","year":"2022","journal-title":"Nat. Catal."},{"key":"ref_44","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"97","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jmst.2022.02.030","article-title":"MOFs derived ZnSe\/N-doped carbon nanosheets as multifunctional interlayers for ultralong-Life lithium-sulfur batteries","volume":"125","author":"Wang","year":"2022","journal-title":"J. Mater. Sci. Technol."}],"container-title":["Nanomaterials"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2079-4991\/16\/8\/449\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,9]],"date-time":"2026-04-09T08:37:14Z","timestamp":1775723834000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2079-4991\/16\/8\/449"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,9]]},"references-count":44,"journal-issue":{"issue":"8","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,4]]}},"alternative-id":["nano16080449"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/nano16080449","relation":{},"ISSN":["2079-4991"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2079-4991","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,9]]}}}