Lithium–Sulfur Batteries: Progress and Prospects

TLDR

Advanced energy‑storage systems for portable devices, electric vehicles, and grid storage require low cost, long life, safety, high energy and power, and environmental benignity; lithium‑sulfur batteries promise high energy but face challenges such as short cycle life, low sulfur loading, polysulfide shuttling, and poor conductivity. This report reviews recent advances in lithium‑sulfur batteries, focusing on sulfur‑encapsulation innovations, novel materials, cell‑component design, and outlines critical research directions and remaining challenges. The review discusses scientific understanding and engineering concerns at each developmental stage. Progress over the past five years has been made by using sulfur–carbon or sulfur–polymer composite cathodes, novel cell configurations, and lithium‑metal anode stabilization to mitigate polysulfide shuttling and improve conductivity.

Abstract

Development of advanced energy‐storage systems for portable devices, electric vehicles, and grid storage must fulfill several requirements: low‐cost, long life, acceptable safety, high energy, high power, and environmental benignity. With these requirements, lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries promise great potential to be the next‐generation high‐energy system. However, the practicality of Li–S technology is hindered by technical obstacles, such as short shelf and cycle life and low sulfur content/loading, arising from the shuttling of polysulfide intermediates between the cathode and anode and the poor electronic conductivity of S and the discharge product Li 2 S. Much progress has been made during the past five years to circumvent these problems by employing sulfur–carbon or sulfur–polymer composite cathodes, novel cell configurations, and lithium‐metal anode stabilization. This Progress Report highlights recent developments with special attention toward innovation in sulfur‐encapsulation techniques, development of novel materials, and cell‐component design. The scientific understanding and engineering concerns are discussed at the end in every developmental stage. The critical research directions needed and the remaining challenges to be addressed are summarized in the Conclusion.