title: More Reliable Lithium-Sulfur Batteries: Status, Solutions and Prospects.
abstract: Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries have attracted tremendous interest because of their high theoretical energy density and cost effectiveness. The target of Li-S battery research is to produce batteries with a high useful energy density that at least outperforms state-of-the-art lithium-ion batteries. However, due to an intrinsic gap between fundamental research and practical applications, the outstanding electrochemical results obtained in most Li-S battery studies indeed correspond to low useful energy densities and are not really suitable for practical requirements. The Li-S battery is a complex device and its useful energy density is determined by a number of design parameters, most of which are often ignored, leading to the failure to meet commercial requirements. The purpose of this review is to discuss how to pave the way for reliable Li-S batteries. First, the current research status of Li-S batteries is briefly reviewed based on statistical information obtained from literature. This includes an analysis of how the various parameters influence the useful energy density and a summary of existing problems in the current Li-S battery research. Possible solutions and some concerns regarding the construction of reliable Li-S batteries are comprehensively discussed. Finally, insights are offered on the future directions and prospects in Li-S battery field.
authors.affiliation: Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science, Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 72 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, 110016, China.
authors.forename: Ruopian
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.affiliation: Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science, Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 72 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, 110016, China.
authors.forename: Shiyong
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science, Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 72 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, 110016, China.
authors.forename: Zhenhua
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: School of Chemical Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia.
authors.forename: Da-Wei
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science, Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 72 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, 110016, China.|Tsinghua-Berkeley Shenzhen Institute, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
authors.forename: Hui-Ming
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science, Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 72 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, 110016, China.
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Li
keywords: batteries; high energy; lithium; sulfur