Emerging multifunctional polymer binder materials for advancing lithium-sulfur battery performance: a review

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Energy Storage

Background:

• Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries offer high energy density but suffer from poor conductivity, volume expansion, and polysulfide shuttling.
• These issues lead to rapid capacity fading and low coulombic efficiency, hindering commercialization.
• Polymer binders are increasingly recognized as critical for stabilizing Li-S cathodes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a comprehensive overview of polymer binder engineering for Li-S battery cathodes.
• To highlight the shift from conventional inert binders to advanced multifunctional systems.
• To critically evaluate emerging binder strategies and their impact on electrochemical performance.

Main Methods:

• Reviewing recent advancements in polymer binder design for Li-S batteries.
• Analyzing different types of multifunctional binders: polar, conductive, and mechanically robust.
• Evaluating novel approaches like supramolecular, self-healing, bio-based, and water-processable binders.

Main Results:

• Multifunctional binders, including polar, conductive, and crosslinked systems, significantly enhance Li-S battery performance.
• Emerging strategies offer promising solutions for polysulfide confinement, charge transport, and mechanical durability.
• Binder chemistry and architecture are directly correlated with improved electrochemical metrics.

Conclusions:

• Polymer binder engineering is a crucial direction for advancing Li-S battery technology.
• Key design principles for binders should focus on polysulfide management, conductivity, and mechanical integrity.
• Further research into novel and scalable binder strategies is essential for practical, high-performance Li-S batteries.