Carbon-Based Nanocomposites for Metal-Sulfur Batteries

The cyclability of metal-sulfur batteries is affected by the dilution of polysulfides in the electrolyte, for this reason, it is necessary to produce batteries with better electrochemical stability. Therefore, it is essential to know the cathode composite to improve the specific capacity that can be obtained; carbon-based nanocomposites are an alternative for the cathode improvement in metal-sulfur batteries. The first sections in this chapter summarize the main characteristics of metal-sulfur batteries considering the conformation of their electrodes and the reaction mechanisms involved during charge/discharge processes. Subsequently, in the following sections, carbonaceous materials will be addressed as an alternative to improve the sulfur conductive properties and to reduce the shuttle effect by forming S/C composites to anchor the metal-polysulfides (M-PS) using controlled porosity and/or heteroatoms on the surfaces of the carbonaceous materials. In the final section, the porosity developed in the carbonaceous materials will be briefly summarized given that characteristics such as porosity control and pore shape modulation influence how sulfur can infiltrate and stabilize within the pores of the carbonaceous material; and dependent on their interconnectivity, ionic mobility within the cathodes of metal-sulfur batteries will be favored or not.