Non-Noble Metallic Plasma Resonance Coupled with Photoelectric Effect Enhances the Conversion Kinetics of Photoassisted Lithium–Sulfur Batteries

The severe polysulfide shuttle effect limits the commercialization of lithium–sulfur batteries. In this work, we developed a self-supporting photocathode based on a TiO₂/Co Schottky heterojunction, which leverages both electrocatalytic and photocatalytic advantages. Specifically, Co nanoparticles─leveraging the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) effect, which has been largely overlooked in prior research─enhance catalytic activity by generating hot electrons and providing localized thermal energy. The charge carriers from TiO₂ under light are efficiently separated by the Schottky junction. This synergistic effect accelerates the polysulfide conversion kinetics and mitigates the shuttle effect. As a result, the photoassisted lithium–sulfur battery (PALSB) incorporating the TiO₂/Co@NC heterojunction demonstrates a high specific capacity of 1429.5 mAh g^–1 at 2C for 180 cycles. Furthermore, the PALSB achieves a photocharging capacity of 283 mAh g^–1 after 12 h of light exposure. This study offers a promising strategy to integrate solar energy with secondary battery technologies.