Title: The Progress of Li-S Batteries-Understanding of the Sulfur Redox Mechanism: Dissolved Polysulfide Ions in the Electrolytes

Journal Article · · Advanced Materials Technologies

Rechargeable lithium–sulfur batteries have aroused great attention in recent years. Thousands of research articles are published, and among these publications, the majority are dedicated to improving the battery's performance through chemically and physically modifying the sulfur electrode, electrolytes, separator, and lithium anode. However, the single most important aspect, understanding the sulfur redox mechanism, is sparse and overwhelmed by the huge volume of work done on improving the battery's performance. Besides the intrinsic complexity of the sulfur redox chemistry, the most challenging task is to find an effective analytical technique for the quantitative and qualitative determination of the dissolved and solid polysulfides, including elemental sulfur. In this paper, the recent important research aiming to understand the redox mechanism of the sulfur electrode is reviewed in light of the unique analytical techniques used in the research. The review re–affirms the complexity of the sulfur redox chemistry and lays the background for the future mechanistic research for Li–S batteries.

Research Organization:
Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE; USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)
Grant/Contract Number:
SC0012704
OSTI ID:
1476765
Report Number(s):
BNL-209155-2018-JAAM
Journal Information:
Advanced Materials Technologies, Journal Name: Advanced Materials Technologies Journal Issue: 9 Vol. 3; ISSN 2365-709X
Publisher:
WileyCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (111)

Mechanism and Kinetics of Li 2 S Precipitation in Lithium-Sulfur Batteries journal August 2015
Nitrogen Rich Hierarchically Organized Porous Carbon/Sulfur Composite Cathode Electrode for High Performance Li/S Battery: A Mechanistic Investigation by Operando Spectroscopic Studies journal October 2016
Radical or Not Radical: Revisiting Lithium-Sulfur Electrochemistry in Nonaqueous Electrolytes journal January 2015
Quantitative and Qualitative Determination of Polysulfide Species in the Electrolyte of a Lithium-Sulfur Battery using HPLC ESI/MS with One-Step Derivatization journal January 2015
Anodes for Rechargeable Lithium-Sulfur Batteries journal April 2015
Direct Observation of the Redistribution of Sulfur and Polysufides in Li-S Batteries During the First Cycle by In Situ X-Ray Fluorescence Microscopy journal March 2015
Recent Advances in Electrolytes for Lithium-Sulfur Batteries journal April 2015
Lithium/Sulfur Batteries Upon Cycling: Structural Modifications and Species Quantification by In Situ and Operando X-Ray Diffraction Spectroscopy journal May 2015
Review on Li-Sulfur Battery Systems: an Integral Perspective journal May 2015
Characterization of Polysulfide Radicals Present in an Ether-Based Electrolyte of a Lithium-Sulfur Battery During Initial Discharge Using In Situ X-Ray Absorption Spectroscopy Experiments and First-Principles Calculations journal June 2015
In Situ TEM Observation of Electrochemical Lithiation of Sulfur Confined within Inner Cylindrical Pores of Carbon Nanotubes journal October 2015
Phase Separation of Li 2 S/S at Nanoscale during Electrochemical Lithiation of the Solid-State Lithium-Sulfur Battery Using In Situ TEM journal July 2016
In Situ TEM Study of Volume Expansion in Porous Carbon Nanofiber/Sulfur Cathodes with Exceptional High-Rate Performance journal January 2017
Cover Picture: Structurally Defined Molecular Hypervalent Iodine Catalysts for Intermolecular Enantioselective Reactions (Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 1/2016) journal December 2015
X-ray Absorption Near-Edge Structure and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Study of the Lithium-Sulfur Battery and its Components journal February 2014
The Quest for Polysulfides in Lithium-Sulfur Battery Electrolytes: An Operando Confocal Raman Spectroscopy Study journal July 2015
The Quest for Polysulfides in Lithium-Sulfur Battery Electrolytes: An Operando Confocal Raman Spectroscopy Study journal September 2015
Li-S Battery Analyzed by UV/Vis in Operando Mode journal June 2013
Application of In Operando UV/Vis Spectroscopy in Lithium-Sulfur Batteries journal July 2014
Oxidation process of polysulfides in charge process for lithium–sulfur batteries journal March 2012
La reduction du soufre en milieu organique journal February 1976
Electrochemical reduction of sulphur in dimethylacetamide journal December 1981
Visible time-resolved spectroelectrochemistry: application to study of the reduction of sulfur (S8) in dimethylformamide journal December 1995
The electrochemical behavior of polysulfides in tetrahydrofuran journal January 1985
On the understanding of the reduction of sulfur (S8) in dimethylformamide (DMF) journal January 1997
The mechanism for the cathodic reduction of sulphur in dimethylformamide: low temperature voltammetry journal September 2001
Comments on the mechanism of the electrochemical reduction of sulphur in dimethylformamide journal May 2002
Sulfur redox reactions on nanostructured highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) electrodes: Direct evidence for superior electrocatalytic performance on defect sites journal August 2017
Structural change of the porous sulfur cathode using gelatin as a binder during discharge and charge journal June 2009
Investigations of lithium–sulfur batteries using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy journal May 2013
Discharge process of Li/PVdF/S cells at room temperature journal February 2006
New insight into the discharge process of sulfur cathode by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy journal April 2009
Investigation of discharge reaction mechanism of lithium|liquid electrolyte|sulfur battery journal April 2009
A study of the electrochemical processes in lithium–sulphur cells by impedance spectroscopy journal February 2011
In-situ X-ray diffraction studies of lithium–sulfur batteries journal March 2013
Liquid electrolyte lithium/sulfur battery: Fundamental chemistry, problems, and solutions journal June 2013
Insight into lithium–sulfur batteries: Elementary kinetic modeling and impedance simulation journal December 2013
A review of electrolytes for lithium–sulphur batteries journal June 2014
Understanding dynamics of polysulfide dissolution and re-deposition in working lithium–sulfur battery by in-operando transmission X-ray microscopy journal October 2014
Reduction mechanism of sulfur in lithium–sulfur battery: From elemental sulfur to polysulfide journal January 2016
In operando scanning electron microscopy and ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy studies of lithium/sulfur cells using all solid-state polymer electrolyte journal July 2016
The mechanism of Li2S activation in lithium-sulfur batteries: Can we avoid the polysulfide formation? journal March 2017
Thiol-based electrolyte additives for high-performance lithium-sulfur batteries journal February 2017
Identification of lithium–sulfur battery discharge products through 6Li and 33S solid-state MAS and 7Li solution NMR spectroscopy journal January 2015
Method for the Determination of Inorganic Polysulfide Distribution in Aquatic Systems journal April 2006
Lithium/Sulfur Cell Discharge Mechanism: An Original Approach for Intermediate Species Identification journal April 2012
Analytical Detection of Polysulfides in the Presence of Adsorption Additives by Operando X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy journal August 2015
Lithium Polysulfide Radical Anions in Ether-Based Solvents journal August 2016
Operando Resonant Inelastic X-ray Scattering: An Appropriate Tool to Characterize Sulfur in Li–S Batteries journal October 2016
In Situ NMR Observation of the Temporal Speciation of Lithium Sulfur Batteries during Electrochemical Cycling journal March 2017
Solvent-Dictated Lithium Sulfur Redox Reactions: An Operando UV–vis Spectroscopic Study journal April 2016
Following the Transient Reactions in Lithium–Sulfur Batteries Using an In Situ Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Technique journal April 2015
Preferential Solvation of Lithium Cations and Impacts on Oxygen Reduction in Lithium–Air Batteries journal August 2015
Investigation of the Li–S Battery Mechanism by Real-Time Monitoring of the Changes of Sulfur and Polysulfide Species during the Discharge and Charge journal September 2016
Insight into Sulfur Reactions in Li–S Batteries journal December 2014
In Situ Raman Spectroscopy of Sulfur Speciation in Lithium–Sulfur Batteries journal January 2015
Conductive Lewis Base Matrix to Recover the Missing Link of Li 2 S 8 during the Sulfur Redox Cycle in Li–S Battery journal March 2015
Nonaqueous Liquid Electrolytes for Lithium-Based Rechargeable Batteries journal October 2004
Electrolytes and Interphases in Li-Ion Batteries and Beyond journal October 2014
Rechargeable Lithium–Sulfur Batteries journal July 2014
Characterization of the trisulfur radical anion S3- in blue solutions of alkali polysulfides in hexamethylphosphoramide journal October 1972
In Operando X-ray Diffraction and Transmission X-ray Microscopy of Lithium Sulfur Batteries journal March 2012
High-Capacity Micrometer-Sized Li2 S Particles as Cathode Materials for Advanced Rechargeable Lithium-Ion Batteries journal September 2012
Nature of Li 2 O 2 Oxidation in a Li–O 2 Battery Revealed by Operando X-ray Diffraction journal November 2014
Ab Initio Structure Search and in Situ 7 Li NMR Studies of Discharge Products in the Li–S Battery System journal November 2014
Effects of Liquid Electrolytes on the Charge–Discharge Performance of Rechargeable Lithium/Sulfur Batteries: Electrochemical and in-Situ X-ray Absorption Spectroscopic Studies journal October 2011
Electrochemistry of Sulfur and Polysulfides in Ionic Liquids journal December 2011
Mechanism of Enhanced Carbon Cathode Performance by Nitrogen Doping in Lithium–Sulfur Battery: An X-ray Absorption Spectroscopic Study journal April 2014
Probing the Lithium–Sulfur Redox Reactions: A Rotating-Ring Disk Electrode Study journal March 2014
Experimental and Theoretical Analysis of Products and Reaction Intermediates of Lithium–Sulfur Batteries journal May 2014
Sulfur Speciation in Li–S Batteries Determined by Operando X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy journal September 2013
X-ray Absorption Spectra of Dissolved Polysulfides in Lithium–Sulfur Batteries from First-Principles journal April 2014
Nano-sized transition-metal oxides as negative-electrode materials for lithium-ion batteries journal September 2000
A highly efficient polysulfide mediator for lithium–sulfur batteries journal January 2015
Direct observation of lithium polysulfides in lithium–sulfur batteries using operando X-ray diffraction journal May 2017
Li–O2 and Li–S batteries with high energy storage journal January 2012
Multiscale characterization of a lithium/sulfur battery by coupling operando X-ray tomography and spatially-resolved diffraction journal June 2017
Single step transformation of sulphur to Li2S2/Li2S in Li-S batteries journal July 2015
From a historic review to horizons beyond: lithium–sulphur batteries run on the wheels journal January 2015
Molecular structure and stability of dissolved lithium polysulfide species journal January 2014
Electrochemical reactions of lithium–sulfur batteries: an analytical study using the organic conversion technique journal January 2014
X-ray spectroscopy as a probe for lithium polysulfide radicals journal January 2015
Unique behaviour of nonsolvents for polysulphides in lithium–sulphur batteries journal January 2014
Lithium–sulfur batteries: from liquid to solid cells journal January 2015
Designing high-energy lithium–sulfur batteries journal January 2016
Investigation of the reaction mechanism of lithium sulfur batteries in different electrolyte systems by in situ Raman spectroscopy and in situ X-ray diffraction journal January 2017
Advances in Li–S batteries journal January 2010
Nanostructured sulfur cathodes journal January 2013
New insight into the working mechanism of lithium–sulfur batteries: in situ and operando X-ray diffraction characterization journal January 2013
Recent progress and remaining challenges in sulfur-based lithium secondary batteries – a review journal January 2013
Mechanistic insights into operational lithium–sulfur batteries by in situ X-ray diffraction and absorption spectroscopy journal January 2014
Rechargeable Lithium Sulfur Battery journal January 2003
Rechargeable Lithium Sulfur Battery journal May 2003
Time-Resolved In Situ Spectroelectrochemical Study on Reduction of Sulfur in N,N[sup ʹ]-Dimethylformamide journal January 2004
In Situ Spectroelectrochemical Studies on the Reduction of Sulfur in Dimethyl Sulfoxide Solutions journal January 1993
Lithium Sulfur Battery: Oxidation/Reduction Mechanisms of Polysulfides in THF Solutions journal January 1988
Morphological and Structural Studies of Composite Sulfur Electrodes upon Cycling by HRTEM, AFM and Raman Spectroscopy journal January 2010
Operando Characterization of Intermediates Produced in a Lithium-Sulfur Battery journal January 2015
Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy Study of a Lithium/Sulfur Battery: Modeling and Analysis of Capacity Fading journal January 2013
In-Situ Raman Investigation of Polysulfide Formation in Li-S Cells journal January 2013
Analysis of Polysulfide Dissolved in Electrolyte in Discharge-Charge Process of Li-S Battery journal January 2012
Understanding the Charging Mechanism of Lithium-Sulfur Batteries Using Spatially Resolved Operando X-Ray Absorption Spectroscopy journal January 2016
Fingerprinting Lithium-Sulfur Battery Reaction Products by X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy journal January 2014
Raman Spectroscopic and X-ray Diffraction Studies of Sulfur Composite Electrodes during Discharge and Charge journal January 2012
Direct Observation of Sulfur Radicals as Reaction Media in Lithium Sulfur Batteries journal December 2014
Quantitative Chromatographic Determination of Dissolved Elemental Sulfur in the Non-Aqueous Electrolyte for Lithium-Sulfur Batteries journal November 2014
Chromatographic Separation of Polysulfide Species in Non-Aqueous Electrolytes – Revisited journal January 2014
In Situ X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy Studies of Discharge Reactions in a Thick Cathode of a Lithium Sulfur Battery journal December 2016
A Novel Optical Diagnostic for In Situ Measurements of Lithium Polysulfides in Battery Electrolytes journal February 2017
Sulphured Polyacrylonitrile Composite Analysed by in operando UV-Visible Spectroscopy and 4-electrode Swagelok Cell journal September 2016
Recent Research Progress on Non-aqueous Lithium-Air Batteries from Argonne National Laboratory journal November 2013

Cited By (11)

“Brain‐Coral‐Like” Mesoporous Hollow CoS 2 @N‐Doped Graphitic Carbon Nanoshells as Efficient Sulfur Reservoirs for Lithium–Sulfur Batteries journal July 2019
Single Nickel Atoms on Nitrogen‐Doped Graphene Enabling Enhanced Kinetics of Lithium–Sulfur Batteries journal August 2019
Sulfur Redox Reactions at Working Interfaces in Lithium-Sulfur Batteries: A Perspective journal January 2019
Efficient Charging of Lithium-Sulfur Batteries by Triboelectric Nanogenerator Based on Pulse Current journal October 2018
Multiple Nanosheets Assembled Nanoflower‐like MnO 2 to Anchor Polysulfides for Improving Electrochemical Performance in Lithium Sulfur Batteries journal June 2019
A Highly Conductive MOF of Graphene Analogue Ni 3 (HITP) 2 as a Sulfur Host for High‐Performance Lithium–Sulfur Batteries journal September 2019
The role of polysulfide dianions and radical anions in the chemical, physical and biological sciences, including sulfur-based batteries journal January 2019
Metal-based nanostructured materials for advanced lithium–sulfur batteries journal January 2018
Catenated and spirocyclic polychalcogenides from potassium carbonate and elemental chalcogens journal January 2019
ZnS spheres wrapped by an ultrathin wrinkled carbon film as a multifunctional interlayer for long-life Li–S batteries journal January 2020
Unraveling the Correlation between Solvent Properties and Sulfur Redox Behavior in Lithium-Sulfur Batteries journal January 2018