Lithium-sulfur (Li–S) batteries have been intensively pursued as next-generation batteries for electrical vehicles, electrified flight, and renewable energy storage. They offer several advantages, including high energy density, low cost, and sustainability. Despite these advantages, the commercialization of Li–S batteries has been plagued by persistent obstacles, particularly poor cycle life and low practical energy density. These problems have their origins at interfaces: e.g., the insulating nature of sulfur/lithium sulfides con current collectors, the migratory tendancies of polysulfides within an electrode, and polysulfide shuttling between electrodes through the battery's separator. Here I will describe our efforts in understanding and ultimately controlling these processes in the cell, advancing in stride molecular level descriptions of key events at interfaces associated with the aforementioned macroscopic behaviors. Key to our success is the merging of physical inorganic and physical organic materials chemistry principles in the context of this battery chemistry, bridging materials design and computational understanding from first-principles.

Toward a molecular level understanding of electrochemical interfaces in lithium–sulfur batteries

254th National Meeting (2017)

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