• Fe2O3 nanorod arrays on carbon cloth provide abundant active sites for efficient polysulfide adsorption and catalytic conversion, mitigating the shuttle effect.
• The Fe2O3/CC cathode achieves a high initial discharge capacity of 1250 mAh g−1 at 0.1 C and retains 789 mAh g−1 after 100 cycles.
• At 2 C, the cathode maintains 576 mAh g−1 after 1000 cycles with 70% capacity retention, demonstrating excellent long-term stability.
• The mesoporous structure of Fe2O3 enhances electrolyte penetration and lithium-ion diffusion, improving electrochemical kinetics and sulfur utilization.