Unveiling the Advances of 2D Materials for Li/Na-S Batteries Experimentally and Theoretically

Li/Na-sulfur batteries hold practical promise for next-generation batteries because of high energy density and low cost. Significant progress has been made in understanding mechanisms of sulfur redox and metal stripping-plating with a judicious combination of experimental and theoretical approaches. Two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials offer a suitable model to correlate experimental results with theoretical predictions and, importantly, with which to explore structure-property relationships. Future research effort should focus on establishment of correlations between macroscopic conversion kinetics and electronic structure of the electrode materials with agreed standards and advanced combined experiments and theory. In addition, fabrication of three-dimensional (3D) electrodes from 2D materials might be a promising approach to promote the energy and power densities of the Li/Na-sulfur batteries and other metal-sulfur batteries. © 2019 Elsevier Inc.