Killing two birds with one stone strategy inspired advanced batteries with superior thermal safety: A comprehensive evaluation

The conflict between the finite theoretical capacity of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) and escalating energy demand of devices, grows more acute. In this setting, lithium-sulfur batteries (LSBs) with unprecedented energy density have come into the limelight. Meanwhile, the notorious issue of “LiPSss shuttling action” impedes its usage. However, many works pertaining to materials design have been executed to promote the electrochemical property of batteries, neglecting their influences on thermal safety. As such, Ficus carica inspired carbon microspheres combined with CoS₂ nanodots (CoS₂@APFS) are designed to promote the electrochemical property and thermal safety of batteries. When utilized as LIBs anode, the cell shows an initial discharge capacity of 1410.8 mAh g⁻¹ and an extremely low-capacity decay rate of 0.044 % per cycle during running at 1 A g⁻¹. In addition, the maximum temperature rising rate is decreased by 54.2 %, while the activation energy for thermal runaway (TR) is promoted by 122.4 %. When applied to LSBs, the battery shows an inceptive capacity of 916.5 mAh g⁻¹ at 1C. Meanwhile, the TR activation energy is promoted by 85.5 %, implying the impaired thermal hazard. Further, the comprehensive evaluation system is first established, which may provide guidance for the design of materials, optimizing the battery property and extending its usages. © 2025 Elsevier B.V.