High energy batteries based on sulfur cathode

Abstract Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have become an indispensable part of our daily life, however, the energy and power capability that LIBs can deliver are lagging far behind the ever-increasing demands of portable electronics and electric vehicles. Metal-sulfur batteries as one of the most promising alternatives to LIBs are receiving rapidly growing research interests due to the extremely high energy density and abundant resources of sulfur. In this short review, we will discuss the state-of-art development of high energy density battery technologies based on sulfur cathode in combination with different metal anodes, with focus on sodium, magnesium and aluminum anodes. We leave lithium-sulfur batteries out of discussion since there are already a large number of nicely organized review papers available. The operation mechanism of various anode materials and the variety of electrolytes used in sulfur batteries will be reviewed. Some perspectives on improving the performances and overcoming the remaining issues in sulfur batteries will be discussed. It is expected that this review will draw more attention to sulfur batteries from both the academic and industrial communities.