How should one design porous carbon materials for advanced Li-S batteries cathodes? What electrolytes are extensively studied for high-safety Li-S batteries? In a paper published in Nano, a group of researchers from Qingdao, China have reviewed the recent progress in sulfur/carbon cathode materials and high safety electrolytes towards advanced Li-S batteries. Some potential issues and possible developmental directions are also discussed.
Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) battery is one of the most promising secondary batteries for its high energy density, high natural abundance and environment-friendly nature of sulfur. However, the commercial application of Li-S battery faces some technical obstacles, such as low cycling stability resulted from the shuttle effect of polysulfides, low electrical conductivity of sulfur, and volume expansion during charge/discharge process. Furthermore, due to the flammability of organic solvents in liquid electrolytes, the continuous formation of lithium dendrites and the low ignition temperature of carbon-sulfur mixtures, the safety of Li-S batteries has become another critical issue to be solved.
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