Rational engineering of electrolytes for lithium-sulfur batteries

The threatening demerits of state-of-the-art lithium-ion batteries, which include poor safety, limited availability of lithium and the presence of expensive elements such as nickel and cobalt, have accelerated extensive research to find alternatives beyond lithium-ion batteries. In the past two decades, lithium-sulfur batteries have been extensively researched, and they have entered a key stage of commercialization. However, critical issues such as self-discharge and lithium polysulfide shuttling, which are intrinsic properties of electrolytes, must be overcome. This mini review comprehensively illustrates the underpinning issues of lithium-sulfur batteries, particularly those related to electrolytes, and the strategies employed to overcome these challenges based on the articles published after 2020.