Revisiting the Role of Polysulfides in Lithium-Sulfur Batteries

Intermediate polysulfides (S_n , where n = 2-8) play a critical role in both mechanistic understanding and performance improvement of lithium-sulfur batteries. The rational management of polysulfides is of profound significance for high-efficiency sulfur electrochemistry. Here, the key roles of polysulfides are discussed, with regard to their status, behavior, and their correspondingimpact on the lithium-sulfur system. Two schools of thoughts for polysulfide management are proposed, their advantages and disadvantages are compared, and future developments are discussed.