Recent advances in inhibiting shuttle effect of polysulfide in lithium-sulfur batteries

Lithium‑sulfur (Li–S) batteries possess a significantly higher theoretical capacity compared to lithium-ion batteries, along with several advantages such as abundant sulfur resources, low production cost, and eco-friendliness. However, the shuttle effect of polysulfide results in severe issues, including the decrease of battery capacity and Coulombic efficiency. Furthermore, the degradation of cycle stability due to the poisoning of the lithium metal negative electrode hampers the practical application of Li–S batteries. One key approach to addressing these challenges involves the use of functionalized separators or membranes. Recent research has focused on mitigating the shuttling of polysulfide ions, enhancing the utilization efficiency of active materials, and prolonging cycle lifetimes and stability through membrane functionalization. In this paper, we give a comprehensive review on the recent progresses toward inhibiting the shuttle effect of polysulfide in lithium‑sulfur battery by membrane functionalization and predict the future research trends in membrane functionalization.