The Role of Carbon-Based Cathode Components in Li-S Batteries

Carbon-based cathode materials play a crucial role in the development of alternative battery technologies. For lithium-sulfur batteries, carbonaceous S-hosts and carbon-sulfur copolymers have been reliably used as cathode materials to improve battery cyclability and working lifetimes. Characterizing these carbon-based materials in their as-prepared state, when fabricated into cathodes, and during electrochemical function requires the use of multiple complementary techniques probing various length scales, e.g., atomic, nanometer, micrometer. Appropriate coupling of characterization techniques and interpretation of data allows researchers to accurately establish the relationship between composition, structure, and property, which in turn facilitates rational design of complex materials. These combined strategies have provided some of the most detailed insights surrounding the role and design of carbon-based materials to date. This review covers some of the ways both conventional and emerging analytical techniques have been used by researchers to investigate carbon-based cathode materials for Li-S batteries.