Key challenges, recent advances and future perspectives of rechargeable lithium-sulfur batteries

Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) battery, which releases energy by coupling high abundant sulfur with lithium metal, is considered as a potential substitute for the current lithium-ion battery. Thanks to the lightweight and multi-electron reaction of sulfur cathode, the Li-S battery can achieve a high theoretical specific capacity of 1675 mAh g-1 and specific energy of 2600 Wh kg-1. However, some key scientific issues limit its prac-tical application, such as the shuttle effect of lithium polysulfides, large volume change, poor conduc-tivity of sulfur and its solid-state products, and self-discharge phenomenon. Of these, the shuttle effect is recognized as the most critical challenge affecting on electrochemical performance. Hence, this review first systematically introduces the development of Li-S batteries and the corresponding shuttle effect. Then, the latest work on anode, cathode, separator and electrolyte are summarized. Finally, some promis-ing views on the future research direction of this battery system are put forward. (c) 2023 The Korean Society of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) battery, which combines abundant sulfur with lithium metal to release energy, is considered a potential substitute for current lithium-ion batteries. However, the shuttle effect of lithium polysulfides, large volume change, poor conductivity of sulfur and its solid-state products, and self-discharge phenomenon limit its practical application. This review systematically introduces the development of Li-S batteries, summarizes the latest work on anode, cathode, separator and electrolyte, and proposes some promising views on future research directions of this battery system.