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[Display omitted] • The Ni/Ni 3 ZnC 0.7 @OMMC NSs cathodes were synthesized successfully. • The heterojunction between Ni and Ni 3 ZnC 0.7 accelerates reaction dynamics. • The Ni/Ni 3 ZnC 0.7 @OMMC NSs cathodes enable high sulfur utilization and fast sulfur kinetics. • The Ni/Ni 3 ZnC 0.7 @OMMC NSs cathodes exhibit outstanding electrochemical performance. Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries are deemed one of the most promising candidates for next-generation high-energy–density energy storage devices. However, the development of Li-S batteries currently suffers from several problems, such as poor conductivity of the positive electrode, poor capacity retention and sluggish reaction kinetics. Herein, ordered micro-mesoporous carbon (OMMC) noanospheres embedded with Ni/Ni 3 ZnC 0.7 heterostructure as a novel cathode host material were synthesized and reported. Which can not only effectively improve the physical limitation and chemical adsorption of lithium polysulfides (LiPSs), but also greatly accelerate the electron transport to suppress the shuttling effect of LiPSs. As a result, the as-obtained S@Ni/Ni 3 ZnC 0.7 @OMMC noanospheres (S@Ni/Ni 3 ZnC 0.7 @OMMC NSs) cathode exhibits outstanding initial capacities up to 1408 mAh/g at 0.1C. More significantly, an excellent cyclic stability of 847 mAh/g is realized after 500 cycles at 0.5C (low capacity decay rate of 0.051 % per cycle). This work provides a new insight to how design and develop advanced cathode hosts for high-performance Li-S batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]