Lithium-Sulfur Batteries

5 Molecular Level Understanding of the Interactions Between Reaction Intermediates of Li–S Energy Storage Systems and Ether Solvents

Rajeev S. Assary^1,2 and Larry A. Curtiss^1,2

¹ Argonne National Laboratory, Materials Science Division, Argonne, IL, 60439, USA

² Argonne National Laboratory, Joint Center for Energy Storage Research, Argonne, IL, 60439, USA

5.1 Introduction

Breakthroughs in secondary and grid storage battery technologies are essential for a sustainable future [1–4]. An energy storage system that utilizes lithium–sulfur redox chemistry is promising in this context [5,6]. After more than three decades of active fundamental and applied research and developmental efforts, the Li–S energy storage systems still offer significant challenges such as cycling efficiency, formation of insulating Li–S layers on the anode, anode reactivity with electrolyte, poor understanding of solid–electrolyte interface, stability of nonaqueous electrolyte, solubility of polysulfide and conductivity, and other safety issues [7–9]. In spite of these challenges, this is a very appealing battery reaction system due to the high theoretical capacity (10 times that of the present Li ion) and the fact that sulfur is relatively abundant and less toxic compared to the cathodes in the conventional lithium ion batteries. To address the aforementioned challenges and to convert the Li–S electrical energy storage system to a game‐changing battery technology, further molecular scale understanding ...