Frontiers for Room-Temperature Sodium-Sulfur Batteries

Room-temperature (RT) sodium-sulfur (Na-S) systems have been rising stars in new battery technologies beyond the lithium-ion battery era. This Perspective provides a glimpse at this technology, with an emphasis on discussing its fundamental challenges and strategies that are currently used for optimization. We also aim to systematically correlate the functionality of the major components of RT Na-S batteries, i.e., cathodes, anodes, and electrolyte systems, with the corresponding electrochemistry for a better understanding of the performance. Finally, several pivotal research directions are highlighted to provide fundamental guidelines that can potentially make the practical application of RT Na-S systems a reality.

Automated summary

Room-temperature sodium-sulfur (Na-S) systems have emerged as a promising technology in new battery technologies beyond the lithium-ion battery era. This Perspective discusses the fundamental challenges, optimization strategies, and correlation between components and electrochemistry for improved performance. Highlighted pivotal research directions provide fundamental guidelines for the practical application of RT Na-S systems.