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Advances in lithium–sulfur batteries based on multifunctional cathodes and electrolytes

Nature Energy volume 1, Article number: 16132 (2016) Cite this article

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Abstract

Amid burgeoning environmental concerns, electrochemical energy storage has rapidly gained momentum. Among the contenders in the ‘beyond lithium’ energy storage arena, the lithium–sulfur (Li–S) battery has emerged as particularly promising, owing to its potential to reversibly store considerable electrical energy at low cost. Whether or not Li–S energy storage will be able to fulfil this potential depends on simultaneously solving many aspects of its underlying conversion chemistry. Here, we review recent developments in tackling the dissolution of polysulfides — a fundamental problem in Li–S batteries — focusing on both experimental and computational approaches to tailor the chemical interactions between the sulfur host materials and polysulfides. We also discuss smart cathode architectures enabled by recent materials engineering, especially for high areal sulfur loading, as well as innovative electrolyte design to control the solubility of polysulfides. Key factors that allow long-life and high-loading Li–S batteries are summarized.

Lithium-ion battery technology has enabled the development of portable electronic devices over recent decades. The goal of increasing the share of electric vehicles on the roads, however, calls for energy storage devices that embrace lower cost and higher energy density as well as longer cycling life1,2. Li–S batteries that couple Earth-abundant and high-capacity sulfur positive electrodes (cathodes) coupled with lithium negative electrodes (anodes) are considered among the most promising candidates to achieve a low-cost and high-energy-density system3–6. Contributing factors are the very high abundance of sulfur, its relatively low mass and its ability to adopt a wide variety of oxidation states. The batteries rely on the reversible reaction:

(1) 2  Li + + 2  e − + xS ⇌ Charge Discharge Li 2 S x 1 < x < 8

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Figure 1: Fundamental problems with using porous carbon as a sulfur host material.
Figure 2: Summary of the polar–polar chemical interactions between lithium polysulfides and polar sulfur hosts.
Figure 3: Entrapping lithium polysulfides by metal-sulfur bonding.
Figure 4: Strategy of binding polysulfides by sulfur-chain catenation via nucleophilic substitution.
Figure 5: Binding energy metrics for chemical interactions between lithium polysulfides and sulfur hosts.
Figure 6: Various cathode architectures for high areal sulfur loading in Li–S cells.
Figure 7: Concept of using non-solvents compared with typical ether-based electrolytes.
Figure 8: A summary of five aspects to be addressed to allow long-life and high-loading Li–S batteries.

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Acknowledgements

L.F.N very gratefully acknowledges BASF SE for generous funding through their International Scientific Network for Electrochemistry and Batteries (and BASF Canada). We thank Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) for support via its Discovery and Research Chair programmes, and Natural Resources Canada. We kindly thank M. Cuisinier for the graphics in Fig. 1. Partial support (to Q.P.) is now provided by the Joint Center for Energy Storage Research (JCESR), an Energy Innovation Hub funded by the US Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences.

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  1. Quan Pang, Xiao Liang and Chun Yuen Kwok: These authors contributed equally to this work.

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  1. Department of Chemistry and the Waterloo Institute of Nanotechnology, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue, Waterloo, N2L 3G1, Ontario, Canada

    Quan Pang, Xiao Liang, Chun Yuen Kwok & Linda F. Nazar

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Pang, Q., Liang, X., Kwok, C. et al. Advances in lithium–sulfur batteries based on multifunctional cathodes and electrolytes. Nat Energy 1, 16132 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/nenergy.2016.132

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