Recent progress in sulfur cathodes for application to lithium–sulfur batteries (Open Access)--颗粒学报PARTICUOLOGY

Li, Y., Shapter, J. G., Cheng, H., Xu, G., & Gao, G. (2021). Recent progress in sulfur cathodes for application to lithium–sulfur batteries. Particuology, 58, 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.partic.2021.01.008

Recent progress in sulfur cathodes for application to lithium–sulfur batteries (Open Access)

Yongying Li ^a, Joseph G. Shapter ^b, Hui Cheng ^a, Guiying Xu ^a, Guo Gao ^a *

a Key Laboratory for Thin Film and Micro Fabrication of the Ministry of Education, Department of Instrument Science and Technology, School of Electronic Information and Electrical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
b Australian Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN), University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia

10.1016/j.partic.2021.01.008

Volume 58, October 2021, Pages 1-15

Received 25 November 2020, Revised 3 January 2021, Accepted 15 January 2021, Available online 17 February 2021, Version of Record 1 March 2021.

E-mail: guogao@sjtu.edu.cn

Highlights

• Hybrid composite cathode materials are applied to lithium–sulfur batteries.

• Electrochemical performance is influenced by intrinsic conductivity and volume expansion.

• Structure, size, and components of hybrid cathode materials are considered.

• Specially structured materials are designed for lithium–sulfur batteries.

Abstract

Owing to the extensive use of fossil fuels for energy, environmental problems are becoming increasingly severe. Therefore, renewable clean energy sources must be urgently developed. As an environmentally friendly electrochemical energy-storage system, lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are widely used in portable devices, electric vehicles, and medical equipment. However, owing to their high cost and low theoretical energy density, LIBs are far from meeting the current energy demand. Lithium–sulfur batteries (LSBs) (wherein lithium metal and sulfur are the anode and cathode, respectively) are one of the most valuable secondary batteries because of their high theoretical energy density (∼2600 Wh kg⁻¹). However, the intrinsic conductivity of sulfur cathode materials is poor, and the lithium polysulfide formed during lithiation dissolves easily. Moreover, the volumetric expansion during charging and discharging adversely affects the LSB electrochemical performance, including the rate performance, cycle life, and coulombic efficiency. Therefore, to improve the LSB electrochemical performance, various sulfur composites have been prepared using carbon materials, metallic oxides, and conductive polymers, and various composite cathode materials recently developed for application to LSBs were reviewed. Finally, research directions were proposed for modifying LSB cathode materials.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

Lithium–sulfur batteries (LSBs); Cathode materials; Hybrid composites; Energy storage

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