Stabilized Lithium Metal Nanocomposite Anode for High-Performance Lithium–Sulfur Batteries

Lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries have received tremendous interest due to the high energy density and natural abundance of S, which offers the potential to surpass state-of-the-art Li-ion batteries as a next-generation energy storage system. However, the main issues related to the Li metal anode in the Li–S batteries include the parasitic side reactions due to the highly reactive metallic Li that is easy to react with soluble polysulfides. Additionally, the Li metal anode also suffers from failure and safety owing to the deposition by its “hostless’’ nature and the associated severe dendritic growth. Therefore, the systematic understanding and targeted structural design of Li metal anode in Li–S batteries are necessary. This chapter first presents an overview of the fundamental working mechanisms and challenges of the Li metal anode in the Li–S batteries. Then, we focus on the significance of constructing a high-performance Li metal nanocomposite anode to realize high-energy and long-life Li–S batteries. Following the obtained insights, the prospects are given on how to design high-cyclability and high-safety Li metal nanocomposite anode for Li–S batteries.