Sulfur-containing compounds as electrolyte additives for lithium-ion batteries

Originating from "rocking-chair concept", lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have become one of the most important electrochemical energy storage technologies, which have largely impacted our daily life. The utilization of electrolyte additives in small quantities (<= 5% by wt or vol) has been long viewed as an economical and efficient approach to regulate the properties of electrolyte and electrode-electrolyte interphases and consequently improve the cycling performance of LIBs. Among all the kinds of electrolyte additives, sulfur-containing compounds have gained significant attention due to their unique features in building stable electrode-electrolyte interphases and protect battery cells from overcharging. In this work, advances and progresses of sulfur-containing additives used in LIBs are overviewed, with special attention paid to the working mechanisms of these electrolyte additives. Particularly, four representative sulfur-containing compounds (i.e., 1,3-propane sultone, prop-1-ene-1,3-sultone, 1,3,2-dioxathiolane-2,2-dioxide, and ethylene sulfite) are comparatively discussed concerning their impact on electrode-electrolyte interphases and cell performances. Future work on the development of sulfur-containing compounds as functional electrolyte additives is also provided. The present review is anticipated to be not only a base document to access the status quo in this research domain but also a guideline to select specialized additives and electrolytes for practical applications.