Rechargeable metal (Li, Na, Mg, Al)-sulfur batteries: Materials and advances

Abstract Energy and environmental issues are becoming more and more severe and renewable energy storage technologies are vital to solve the problem. Rechargeable metal (Li, Na, Mg, Al)-sulfur batteries with low-cost and earth-abundant elemental sulfur as the cathode are attracting more and more interest for electrical energy storage in recent years. Lithium-sulfur (Li-S), room-temperature sodium-sulfur (RT Na-S), magnesium-sulfur (Mg-S) and aluminum-sulfur (Al-S) batteries are the most prominent candidates among them. Many obvious obstacles are hampering the developments of metal-sulfur batteries. Li-S and Na-S batteries are encumbered mainly by anode dendrite issues, polysulfides shuttle and low conductivity of cathodes. Mg-S and Al-S batteries are short of suitable electrolytes. In this review, relationships between various employed nanostructured materials and electrochemical performances of metal-sulfur batteries have been demonstrated. Moreover, the selections of suitable electrolytes, anode protection, separator modifications and prototype innovations are all crucial to the developments of metal-sulfur batteries and are discussed at the same time. Herein, we give a review on the advances of Li-S, RT Na-S, Mg-S and Al-S batteries from the point of view of materials, and then focus on perspectives of their future developments.