Lithium-Sulfur Batteries at Extreme Temperatures: Challenges, Strategies and Prospects

High-energy-density-batteries working at a wide-temperature range are urgently required in many performance-critical areas. Lithium-sulfur batteries (LSB) are promising high-energy-density batteries that have the potential to maintain high performance at extreme temperatures. However, some problems like severe shuttling and safety issues at high temperatures or sluggish reaction kinetics and charge-transfer process at low temperatures decrease the performance and hinder their practical uses in extreme temperature conditions. Therefore, broadening the working temperature of LSB with stable electrochemical performance becomes a crucial topic. In this paper, the key stumbling blocks for high and low-temperature LSB are comprehensively discussed. The solutions from the aspects of electrolyte and electrode materials are discussed to solve the aggravating shuttle effect and thermal safety issues under high temperature and the sluggish reaction kinetics under low temperature. Moreover, some specific promising solutions to extend the operating temperature range of LSB are also proposed and highlighted, which provide potential research directions on the practical LSB application in future.