Porous Organic Framework Materials (MOF, COF, and HOF) as the Multifunctional Separator for Rechargeable Lithium Metal Batteries.

The separator is an important component in batteries, with the primary function of separating the positive and negative electrodes and allowing the free passage of ions. Porous organic framework materials have a stable connection structure, large specific surface area, and ordered pores, which are natural places to store electrolytes. And these materials with specific functions can be designed according to the needs of researchers. The performance of porous organic framework-based separators used in rechargeable lithium metal batteries is much better than that of polyethylene/propylene separators. In this paper, the three most classic organic framework materials (MOF, COF, and HOF) are analyzed and summarized. The applications of MOF, COF, and HOF separators in lithium-sulfur batteries, lithium metal anode, and solid electrolytes are reviewed. Meanwhile, the research progress of these three materials in different fields is discussed based on time. Finally, in the conclusion, the problems encountered by MOF, COF, and HOF in different fields as well as their future research priorities are presented. This review will provide theoretical guidance for the design of porous framework materials with specific functions and further stimulate researchers to conduct research on porous framework materials.

Engineering Non-precious Trifunctional Cobalt-Based Electrocatalysts for Industrial Water Splitting and Ultra-High-Temperature Flexible Zinc-Air Battery.

Developing efficient, robust, and cost-effective trifunctional catalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) at high current density and high temperature is crucial for water splitting at industry-level conditions and ultra-high-temperature Zinc-air battery (ZAB). Herein, cobalt nanoparticles well-integrated with nitrogen-doped porous carbon leaves (Co@NPCL) by direct annealing of core-shell bimetallic zeolite imidazolate frameworks is synthesized. Benefiting from the homogeneous distribution of metallic Co nanoparticles, the conductive porous carbon, and the doped N species, the as-fabricated Co@NPCL catalysts exhibit outstanding trifunctional performances with low overpotentials at 10 mA cm-2 for HER (87 mV) and OER (276 mV), long-lasting lifetime of over 2000 h, and a high half-wave potential of 0.86 V versus RHE for ORR. Meanwhile, the Co@NPCL catalyst can serve as both cathode and anode for water splitting at industrial conduction, and exhibit a stable cell voltage of 1.87 V to deliver a constant catalytic current of 500 mA cm-2 over 60 h. Moreover, the excellent trifunctional activity of Co@NPCL enables the flexible ZAB to operate efficiently at ultra-high temperature of 70 °C, delivering 162 mW cm-2 peaks power density and an impressive stability for 4500 min at 2 mA cm-2 .

Grafting a Polymer Coating Layer onto Li1.2 Ni0.13 Co0.13 Mn0.54 O2 Cathode by Benzene Diazonium Salts to Facilitate the Cycling Performance and High-Voltage Stability.

Li-rich Mn-based cathodes have been regarded as promising cathodes for lithium-ion batteries because of their low cost of raw materials (compared with Ni-rich layer structure and LiCoO2 cathodes) and high energy density. However, for practical application, it needs to solve the great drawbacks of Li-rich Mn-based cathodes like capacity degradation and operating voltage decline. Herein, an effective method of surface modification by benzene diazonium salts to build a stable interface between the cathode materials and the electrolyte is proposed. The cathodes after modification exhibit excellent cycling performance (the retention of specific capacity is 84.2% after 350 cycles at the current density of 1 C), which is mainly attributed to the better stability of the structure and interface. This work provides a novel way to design the coating layer with benzene diazonium salts for enhancing the structural stability under high voltage condition during cycling.

Hydrogen-Bonded Organic Framework as Superior Separator with High Lithium Affinity C═N Bond for Low N/P Ratio Lithium Metal Batteries.

Lithium dendrite and side reactions are two major challenges for lithium metal anode. Here, the highly lithophilic triazine ring in the hydrogen-bonded organic framework is recommended to accelerate the desolvation process of lithium ions. Among them, the formation of Li-N bonds between lithium ions and the triazine ring in CAM reduces the diffusion energy barrier of Li+ crossing the SEI interface and the desolvation energy barrier of Li+ exiting from the solvent sheath so that the rapid and homogeneous deposition of lithium-ion can be achieved. Meanwhile, the lithium-ion migration coefficient can be as high as 0.70. CAM separator is used to assemble lithium metal batteries with nickel-rich cathodes (NCM 622). When N/P = 8 and 5, the capacity retention rates of Li-NCM 622 full cell are 78.2% and 80.5% after 200 and 110 cycles, respectively, and the Coulomb efficiency can be maintained at 99.5%, showing excellent cycle stability.

Defects-Abundant Ga2 O3 Nanobricks Enabled Multifunctional Solid Polymer Electrolyte for Superior Lithium-Metal Batteries.

Polyethylene oxide (PEO)-based polymer electrolytes with good flexibility and viscoelasticity, low interfacial resistance, and fabricating cost have caught worldwide attention, but their practical application is still hampered by the instability at high voltages and the low ionic conductivity (10-8 to 10-6  S cm-1 ). Herein, we rationally designed defects-abundant Ga2 O3 nanobricks as multifunctional fillers and constructed a PEO-based organic-inorganic electrolyte for lithium metal batteries. Due to the abundant O-defects feature of Ga2 O3 filler, this PEO-based composite electrolyte not only broadens electrochemical stability window (over 5.3 V versus Li/Li+ ) but also in situ forms a Li-Ga alloy and solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) film during the cycling process causing a rapid diffusion of Li+ ions. The as-prepared electrolyte has good interface compatibility with Li metal (without short-circuiting over 500 h at 0.2 mA cm-2 ) and possesses superior high ionic conductivity. The assembled all-solid-state LiFePO4 //Li cells attained an excellent cycling performance of 146 mAh g-1 over 100 cycles at 0.5 C. The XPS analysis reveals that Ga2 O3 nanobricks can form in situ a Li-Ga alloy layer at the polymer/anode interface. This work shed a light on designing high ionic conductivity lithium alloys in the composite electrolyte, which can improve the electrochemical properties of PEO-based polymer electrolytes.

Interface Engineering of All-Solid-State Batteries Based on Inorganic Solid Electrolytes.

All-solid-state batteries (ASSBs) based on inorganic solid electrolytes (SEs) are one of the most promising strategies for next-generation energy storage systems and electronic devices due to the higher energy density and intrinsic safety. However, the poor solid-solid contact and restricted chemical/electrochemical stability of inorganic SEs both in cathode and anode SE interfaces cause contact failure and the degeneration of SEs during prolonged charge-discharge processes. As a result, the increasing interface resistance significantly affects the coulombic efficiency and cycling performance of ASSBs. Herein, we present a fundamental understanding of physical contact and chemical/electrochemical features of ASSB interfaces based on mainstream inorganic SEs and summarize the recent work on interface modification. SE doping, optimizing morphology, introducing interlayer/coating layer, and utilizing compatible electrode materials are the key methods to prevent side reactions, which are discussed separately in cathode/anode-SE interface. We also highlight the constant extra stack pressure applied during ASSB cycling, which is important to the electrochemical performance. Finally, our perspectives on interface modification for practical high-performance ASSBs are put forward.

Nine-Electron Transfer of Binder Synergistic π-d Conjugated Coordination Polymers as High-Performance Lithium Storage Materials.

To solve the problems such as the dissolution and the poor conductivity of organic small molecule electrode materials, we construct π-d conjugated coordination polymer Ni-DHBQ with multiple redox-active centers as lithium storage materials. It exhibits an ultra-high capacity of 9-electron transfers, while the π-d conjugation and the laminar structure inside the crystal ensure fast electron transport and lithium ion diffusion, resulting in excellent rate performance (505.6 mAh g-1 at 1 A g-1 after 300 cycles). The interaction of Ni-DHBQ with the binder CMC synergistically inhibits its dissolution and anchors the Ni atoms, thus exhibiting excellent cycling stability (650.7 mAh g-1 at 0.1 A g-1 after 100 cycles). This work provides insight into the mechanism of lithium storage in π-d conjugated coordination polymers and the synergistic effect of CMC, which will contribute to the molecular design and commercial application of organic electrode materials.

Defect-Induced Dense Amorphous/Crystalline Heterophase Enables High-Rate and Ultrastable Sodium Storage.

Currently, the construction of amorphous/crystalline (A/C) heterophase has become an advanced strategy to modulate electronic and/or ionic behaviors and promote structural stability due to their concerted advantages. However, their different kinetics limit the synergistic effect. Further, their interaction functions and underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Here, a unique engineered defect-rich V2 O3 heterophase structure (donated as A/C-V2 O3- x @C-HMCS) composed of mesoporous oxygen-deficient amorphous - hollow core (A-V2 O3- x /HMC) and lattice-distorted crystalline shell (C-V2 O3 /S) encapsulated by carbon is rationally designed via a facile approach. Comprehensive density functional theory (DFT) calculations disclose that the lattice distortion enlarges the porous channels for Na+ diffusion in the crystalline phase, thereby optimizing its kinetics to be compatible with the oxygen-vacancy-rich amorphous phase. This significantly reduces the high contrast of the kinetic properties between the crystalline and amorphous phases in A/C-V2 O3- x @C-HMCS and induces the formation of highly dense A/C interfaces with a strong synergistic effect. As a result, the dense heterointerface effectively optimizes the Na+ adsorption energy and lowers the diffusion barrier, thus accelerating the overall kinetics of A/C-V2 O3- x @C-HMCS. In contrast, the perfect heterophase (defects-free) A/C-V2 O3 @C-HCS demonstrates sparse A/C interfacial sites with limited synergistic effect and sluggish kinetics. As expected, the A/C-V2 O3- x @C-HMCS achieves a high rate and ultrastable performance (192 mAh g-1 over 6000 cycles at 10 A g-1 ) when employed for the first time as a cathode for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). This work provides general guidance for realizing dense heterophase cathode design for high-performance SIBs and beyond.

Challenges and Modification Strategies of Ni-Rich Cathode Materials Operating at High-Voltage.

Ni-rich cathode materials have become promising candidates for lithium-based automotive batteries due to the obvious advantage of electrochemical performance. Increasing the operating voltage is an effective means to obtain a higher specific capacity, which also helps to achieve the goal of high energy density (capacity × voltage) of power lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). However, under high operating voltage, surface degradation will occur between Ni-rich cathode materials and the electrolytes, forming a solid interface film with high resistance, releasing O2, CO2 and other gases. Ni-rich cathode materials have serious cation mixing, resulting in an adverse phase transition. In addition, the high working voltage will cause microcracks, leading to contact failure and repeated surface reactions. In order to solve the above problems, researchers have proposed many modification methods to deal with the decline of electrochemical performance for Ni-rich cathode materials under high voltage such as element doping, surface coating, single-crystal fabrication, structural design and multifunctional electrolyte additives. This review mainly introduces the challenges and modification strategies for Ni-rich cathode materials under high voltage operation. The future application and development trend of Ni-rich cathode materials for high specific energy LIBs are projected.

Advances in the Development of Single-Atom Catalysts for High-Energy-Density Lithium-Sulfur Batteries.

Although lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries are promising next-generation energy-storage systems, their practical applications are limited by the growth of Li dendrites and lithium polysulfide shuttling. These problems can be mitigated through the use of single-atom catalysts (SACs), which exhibit the advantages of maximal atom utilization efficiency (≈100%) and unique catalytic properties, thus effectively enhancing the performance of electrode materials in energy-storage devices. This review systematically summarizes the recent progress in SACs intended for use in Li-metal anodes, S cathodes, and separators, briefly introducing the operating principles of Li-S batteries, the action mechanisms of the corresponding SACs, and the fundamentals of SACs activity, and then comprehensively describes the main strategies for SACs synthesis. Subsequently, the applications of SACs and the principles of SACs operation in reinforced Li-S batteries as well as other metal-S batteries are individually illustrated, and the major challenges of SACs usage in Li-S batteries as well as future development directions are presented.

Self-Sacrifice Template Construction of Uniform Yolk-Shell ZnS@C for Superior Alkali-Ion Storage.

Secondary batteries have been widespread in the daily life causing an ever-growing demand for long-cycle lifespan and high-energy alkali-ion batteries. As an essential constituent part, electrode materials with superior electrochemical properties play a vital role in the battery systems. Here, an outstanding electrode of yolk-shell ZnS@C nanorods is developed, introducing considerable void space via a self-sacrificial template method. Such carbon encapsulated nanorods moderate integral electronic conductivity, thus ensuring rapid alkali-ions/electrons transporting. Furthermore, the porous structure of these nanorods endows enough void space to mitigate volume stress caused by the insertion/extraction of alkali-ions. Due to the unique structure, these yolk-shell ZnS@C nanorods achieve superior rate performance and cycling performance (740 mAh g-1 at 1.0 A g-1 after 540 cycles) for lithium-ion batteries. As a potassium-ion batteries anode, they achieve an ultra-long lifespan delivering 211.1 mAh g-1 at 1.0 A g-1 after 5700 cycles. The kinetic analysis reveals that these ZnS@C nanorods with considerable pseudocapacitive contribution benefit the fast lithiation/delithiation. Detailed transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses indicate that such yolk-shell ZnS@C anode is a typical reversible conversion reaction mechanism accomplished by alloying processes. This rational design strategy opens a window for the development of superior energy storage materials.

Pomegranate-like structured Nb2O5/Carbon@N-doped carbon composites as ultrastable anode for advanced sodium/potassium-ion batteries.

The distinctive pomegranate-like Nb2O5/Carbon@N-doped carbon (Nb2O5/C@NC) composites are fabricated using hydrothermal method integrated with nitrogen doped carbon coating procedure. For the SIBs anode, the Nb2O5/C@NC composites present superior rate character and sustainable capacity (117 mAh g-1 upon 1000 cycles at 5 A g-1). The in-situ X-ray diffraction (XRD) is utilized to research its sodium storage mechanism. Furthermore, for PIBs, the Nb2O5/C@NC composites present sustainable capacity (81 mAh g-1 upon 1000 cycles at 1 A g-1). The outstanding performance of Nb2O5/C@NC composites is ascribed to its unique architecture, in which Nb2O5 nanocrystals embedded in porous carbon can restrain agglomeration of Nb2O5 nanocrystals, enhance electron/ion diffusion kinetics, and ensure electrolyte accessibility, and moreover, NC shell layer can provide effective active sites and further increase ions/electrons transfer.

Serum midkine levels for the diagnosis and assessment of response to interventional therapy in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical significance of serum midkine (MDK) levels for the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and evaluate the efficacy of interventional therapy. METHODS: Eighty-four patients with HCC were enrolled in this retrospective study. They received an interventional treatment. A follow-up was performed every 2 months, using magnetic resonance imaging, to determine whether the treatment should be continued. Serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and MDK levels were measured at the first diagnosis and during the follow-ups, and the HCC detection rates based on the cutoff values of these two measurements were compared. The relationships between AFP and MDK and the clinical tumor characteristics and changes in APK and MDK before and after treatment were also compared using a rank sum test and χ2 test, respectively. The prognostic significance of MDK for HCC was determined through regression analysis. A two-sided P â€‹< â€‹0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: MDK expression was detected in 95.24% of the cases. Subgroup analysis revealed MDK expression in 95.35%, 95.12%, 85.19%, 86.67%, and 83.33% of the AFP-positive, AFP-negative, stage A Barcelona clinic liver cancer (BCLC-A), BCLC-A/AFP-positive, and BCLC-A/AFP-negative cases, respectively. MDK expression after the interventional treatment (66.7%) was significantly lower than that before the treatment (95.2%). The mean post-treatment MDK level was 0.67 â€‹ng/mL in patients with a positive response to therapy as compared with 3.66 â€‹ng/mL in those with no positive response. All patients were followed up for 18 months, and those positive for MDK expression before the intervention were more likely to relapse than patients without MDK expression. Subgroup analysis revealed the highest recurrence rate for patients who were positive for MDK expression before and after treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Serum MDK may serve as a powerful complement to AFP in the diagnosis of HCC. MDK measurement may improve the detection rate of BCLC-A and AFP-negative HCC. Serum MDK may help to determine the vascular invasion and poor clinical staging of HCC tumors. Patients with MDK-positive HCC before treatment may be more prone to postoperative tumor progression.

Ultralow Volume Change of P2-Type Layered Oxide Cathode for Na-Ion Batteries with Controlled Phase Transition by Regulating Distribution of Na.

Most P2-type layered oxides exhibit a large volume change when they are charged into high voltage, and it further leads to bad structural stability. In fact, high voltage is not the reason which causes the irreversible phase transition. There are two internal factors which affect structural evolution: the amount and distribution of Na ions retained in the lattice. Hereon, a series of layered oxides Na2/3 Mnx Nix-1/3 Co4/3-2x O2 (1/3≤x≤2/3) were synthesized. It is observed that different components have different structural evolutions during the charge/discharge processes, and further researches find that the distribution of Na ions in layers is the main factor. By controlling the distribution of Na ions, the phase transition process can be well controlled. As the referential component, P2-Na2/3 Mn1/2 Ni1/6 Co1/3 O2 cathode with uniform distribution of Na ions is cycled at the voltage window of 1.5-4.5 V, which exhibits a volume change as low as 1.9 %. Such a low strain is beneficial for cycling stability. The current work provides a new and effective route to regulate the structural evolution of the promising P2-type layered cathode for sodium ion batteries.

Percutaneous Gastrostomy Compared with Esophageal Stent Placement for the Treatment of Esophageal Cancer with Dysphagia.

PURPOSE: To compare the outcomes of self-expandable metal stent placement and percutaneous gastrostomy (PG) for the treatment of patients with esophageal cancer (EC) and dysphagia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective observational study consisted of 113 patients with EC and dysphagia who underwent either stent placement (n = 47) or PG (n = 66) at a single center between June 2014 and June 2018. RESULTS: There were 63 men and 50 women, with a mean age of 76.5 years (standard deviation 4.9 years). The 2 groups had similar baseline characteristics, except that the PG group had a higher percentage of patients with cervical EC (22.7% vs 2.1%, P < .001). The PG group had better maintenance of nutritional status in terms of reduction in serum albumin level (P = .039) and weight loss (P = .041). Compared with the stent group, the PG group demonstrated a lower incidence of local severe pain (0% vs 21.3%, P < .001) and lower incidence of dislodgment of device (1.5% vs 19.1%, P = .002). The PG group demonstrated longer overall survival compared with the stent group for Stages II and III (201 vs 185 days, P = .034) and Stage IV (122 vs 86 days, P = .001). CONCLUSIONS: Compared with stent insertion, PG is associated with better maintenance of nutritional status, fewer complications, and better survival. Thus, PG may be the preferred choice for treating malnutrition in patients with EC and dysphagia.

Predominance of indigenous non-Saccharomyces yeasts in the traditional fermentation of greengage wine and their significant contribution to the evolution of terpenes and ethyl esters.

Greengage wine is a popular drink in Southeast Asia. Salt maceration and sugar addition in traditional fermentation caused plasmolysis of greengage skin cell. In this case, the development of indigenous microbiota can use the nutrition of exosmosis of cell tissue fluid. The result of high-throughput sequencing technology indicated the non-Saccharomyces yeasts dominated the entire process of traditional fermentation. Key yeast genera, such as Gliocephalotrichum, Sordariales, Candida and Issatchenkia were identified, a dynamic non-Saccharomyces yeast community was spontaneously formed and highly correlated to the evolution of volatile compounds of greengage wine, such as monoterpenes, C13-norisoprenoids, ethyl esters and ethylphenols. Yeast glycosidases released nonvolatile aroma precursors into free form, which contributed to the aroma profile with strong flowery and fruity flavor in greengage wine. Moreover, a bacteria genus of Gordonia performed significant correlations to the development of characteristic volatiles at the beginning of primary fermentation.

Freestanding Sodium Vanadate/Carbon Nanotube Composite Cathodes with Excellent Structural Stability and High Rate Capability for Sodium-Ion Batteries.

Sodium vanadate NaV6O15 (NVO) is one of the most promising cathode materials for sodium-ion batteries because of its low cost and high theoretical capacity. Nevertheless, NVO suffers from fast capacity fading and poor rate capability. Herein, a novel free-standing NVO/multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) composite film cathode was synthesized and designed by a simple hydrothermal method followed by a dispersion technique with high safety and low cost. The kinetics analysis based on cyclic voltammetry measurements reveals that the intimate integration of the MWCNT 3D porous conductive network with the 3D pillaring tunnel structure of NVO nanorods enhances the Na+ intercalation pseudocapacitive behavior, thus leading to exceptional rate capability and long lifespan. Furthermore, the NVO/MWCNT composite exhibits excellent structural stability during the charge/discharge process. With these benefits, the composite delivers a high discharge capacity of 217.2 mA h g-1 at 0.1 A g-1 in a potential region of 1.5-4.0 V. It demonstrates a superior rate capability of 123.7 mA h g-1 at 10 A g-1. More encouragingly, it displays long lifespan; impressively, 96% of the initial capacity is retained at 5 A g-1 for over 500 cycles. Our work presents a promising strategy for developing electrode materials with a high rate capability and a long cycle life.

Ni-Rich Layered Oxide with Preferred Orientation (110) Plane as a Stable Cathode Material for High-Energy Lithium-Ion Batteries.

The cathode, a crucial constituent part of Li-ion batteries, determines the output voltage and integral energy density of batteries to a great extent. Among them, Ni-rich LiNixCoyMnzO2 (x + y + z = 1, x ≥ 0.6) layered transition metal oxides possess a higher capacity and lower cost as compared to LiCoO2, which have stimulated widespread interests. However, the wide application of Ni-rich cathodes is seriously hampered by their poor diffusion dynamics and severe voltage drops. To moderate these problems, a nanobrick Ni-rich layered LiNi0.6Co0.2Mn0.2O2 cathode with a preferred orientation (110) facet was designed and successfully synthesized via a modified co-precipitation route. The galvanostatic intermittent titration technique (GITT) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) analysis of LiNi0.6Co0.2Mn0.2O2 reveal its superior kinetic performance endowing outstanding rate performance and long-term cycle stability, especially the voltage drop being as small as 67.7 mV at a current density of 0.5 C for 200 cycles. Due to its unique architecture, dramatically shortened ion/electron diffusion distance, and more unimpeded Li-ion transmission pathways, the current nanostructured LiNi0.6Co0.2Mn0.2O2 cathode enhances the Li-ion diffusion dynamics and suppresses the voltage drop, thus resulting in superior electrochemical performance.

Fe3 O4 @C Nanotubes Grown on Carbon Fabric as a Free-Standing Anode for High-Performance Li-Ion Batteries.

Recently, Li-ion batteries (LIBs) have attracted extensive attention owing to their wide applications in portable and flexible electronic devices. Such a huge market for LIBs has caused an ever-increasing demand for excellent mechanical flexibility, outstanding cycling life, and electrodes with superior rate capability. Herein, an anode of self-supported Fe3 O4 @C nanotubes grown on carbon fabric cloth (CFC) is designed rationally and fabricated through an in situ etching and deposition route combined with an annealing process. These carbon-coated nanotube structured Fe3 O4 arrays with large surface area and enough void space can not only moderate the volume variation during repeated Li+ insertion/extraction, but also facilitate Li+ /electrons transportation and electrolyte penetration. This novel structure endows the Fe3 O4 @C nanotube arrays stable cycle performance (a large reversible capacity of 900 mA h g-1 up to 100 cycles at 0.5 A g-1 ) and outstanding rate capability (reversible capacities of 1030, 985, 908, and 755 mA h g-1 at 0.15, 0.3, 0.75, and 1.5 A g-1 , respectively). Fe3 O4 @C nanotube arrays still achieve a capacity of 665 mA h g-1 after 50 cycles at 0.1 A g-1 in Fe3 O4 @C//LiCoO2 full cells.

Mechanistic Understanding of Metal Phosphide Host for Sulfur Cathode in High-Energy-Density Lithium-Sulfur Batteries.

For solving the drawbacks of low conductivity and the shuttle effect in a sulfur cathode, various nonpolar carbon and polar metal compounds with strong chemical absorption ability are applied as sulfur host materials for lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries. Nevertheless, previous research simply attributed the performance improvement of sulfur cathodes to the chemical adsorption ability of polar metal compounds toward lithium polysulfides (LPS), while a deep understanding of the enhanced electrochemical performance in these various sulfur hosts, especially at the molecular levels, is still unclear. Herein, for a mechanistic understanding of superior metal phosphide host in Li-S battery chemistry, an integrated phosphide-based host of CF/FeP@C (carbon cloth with grown FeP@C nanotube arrays) is chosen as the model, and this binder-free cathode can exclude interference from the binder and conductive additives. With a systematic electrochemical investigation of the loading sulfur in such oxide- and phosphide-based hosts (CF/Fe3O4@C and CF/FeP@C), it is found that CF/FeP@C@S shows much superior Li-S performances. The greatly enhanced performance of CF/FeP@C@S suggests that FeP can well suppress the shuttle effect of LPS and accelerate their transformation during the charge-discharge process. The first-principles calculations reveal the performance variations of Fe3O4 and FeP in Li-S batteries mainly because the shifts of the p band of the FeP could accelerate the interfacial electronics transfer dynamics by increasing the electronic concentration in the Fermi level of adsorbed Li2S4. The current work sheds light on the promising design of superior Li-S batteries from both theoretical and experimental aspects.