Boosting Lean Electrolyte Lithium-Sulfur Battery Performance with Transition Metals: A Comprehensive Review

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Energy Storage

Background:

• Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries are a promising next-generation energy storage technology.
• Lean electrolyte Li-S batteries offer higher energy densities but face challenges with sulfur reduction reactions (SRR).

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically analyze the impact of electrolyte-to-sulfur (E/S) ratios on Li-S battery energy density.
• To review solutions for facilitating SRR kinetics under lean electrolyte conditions.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of polar transition metal sulfur hosts for SRR facilitation at low E/S ratios (< 10 µL mg⁻¹).
• Evaluation of the strengths and limitations of various transition metal compounds.

Main Results:

• Polar transition metal sulfur hosts can facilitate SRR kinetics at low E/S ratios.
• Different transition metal compounds exhibit varying strengths and limitations.

Conclusions:

• Three promising strategies for sulfur hosts acting as anchors and catalysts are proposed.
• Future research should focus on these strategies to enhance lean electrolyte Li-S battery performance.