Asymmetric Electrode-Electrolyte Interfaces for High-Performance Rechargeable Lithium-Sulfur Batteries

With a high cell-level specific energy and a low cost, lithium-sulfur (Li-S) battery has been intensively studied as one of the most promising candidates for competing the next-generation energy storage campaign. Currently, the practical use of Li-S battery is hindered by the rapidly declined storage performance during battery operation, as caused by irreversible loss of electroactive sulfide species at the cathode, dendrite formation at the anode and parasitic reactions at the electrode-electrolyte interface due to unfavorable cathode-anode crosstalk. In this perspective, we propose to stabilize the Li-S electrochemistry, and improve the storage performance of battery by designing asymmetric electrode-electrolyte interfaces that helps to simultaneously address the differentiated issues at both electrodes and facilitate charge transfer in the electrode/electrolyte and across the interfaces. The strategies discussed would shed lights on reasonable design of battery interfaces towards realization of high-performance Li-S batteries.