Unlocking Performance: The Transformative Influence of Single Atom Catalysts on Advanced Lithium-Sulfur Battery Design

Abstract

Theoretically, lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries are highly promising candidates for renewable energy applications, given their scalable energy density and low cost. However, their current practical performance is limited below theoretical expectations, despite attempts to accommodate volumetric expansion and improve electrical conductivity with porous S-anchoring supports. Battery performance is primarily rate-limited by the sluggish redox and conversion reaction kinetics of lithium polysulfides (LiPS), which respectively transform into lithium sulfide (Li2S) and elemental S through charging and discharging galvanostatic cycles. Given their strong electrocatalytic performance and other pertinent benefits, recent research highlights single-atom catalysts (SACs) as candidates for enhancing Li-S batteries. Thus, this review summarizes contemporary advancements regarding SAC implementation in Li-S batteries, primarily emphasizing catalyst morphology, battery performance, and mechanistic elucidation. More specifically, separators and cathodes can be engineered via SACs to better anchor LiPS and improve their reductive kinetics, thereby inhibiting the shuttle effect known to impact Li-S batteries. In addition, SACs can be modulated with functional groups to synergistically improve performance, enabling higher S loadings and redistributing transferred charge. Overall, SACs conspicuously boost Li-S battery performance, justifying further research toward their implementation in Li-S batteries. Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries are gaining huge attention for renewable energy applications. Here, contemporary advancements are addressed regarding single atom catalyst (SAC) implementation in Li-S batteries, primarily emphasizing catalyst morphology, battery performance, and mechanistic elucidation. image