A phenyl S-Te bond with unique redox activity in dilute electrolyte of a lithium battery.

Phenyl tellurosulfide (PhS-TePh) was used to study the redox activity of the S-Te bond in lithium batteries. PhS-TePh formed a dynamic covalent network during lithiation, which provided a balance between responsiveness and stability to facilitate ion and electron transfer, enabling Li/PhS-TePh cells to achieve stable cycling and excellent rate performance in dilute electrolyte.