Research Progress and Prospects of Lithium Sulfur Batteries

Lithium sulfur battery is a high capacity energy storage system with very bright future, and it is considered as the next generation portable energy supply device for electronic vehicle (EV) and hybrid vehicle (HEV). Through decades of research and development, people understand this system stepwisely. The electrochemistry of sulfur cathode is very complex and hard to be examined, which is the key point to develop lithium sulfur battery. Although there are many unknown mechanisms in the electrochemical process of charge/discharge of the lithium sulfur battery, some achievements have been made on the development of cathode materials which provide various sources to study. Sulfur is an insulating molecular crystal, carbon is added as the additive reagent to improve tie electric conductivity in the cathode, sulfur/carbon composite is common as cathode active material in lithium sulfur battery. Ethers and polymers are employed as the components of the electrolytes to coordinate with sulfur cathode. This paper reviews the achievements on lithium sulfur battery in the past decade from the respects of lithium sulfur battery system, cathode materials, electrolytes, cathode structure and new systems based on lithium sulfur battery. The weaknesses are revealed and the future is prospected.