A new ether-based electrolyte for lithium sulfur batteries using a S@pPAN cathode.

A new electrolyte composed of 4 M LiFSI in dibutyl ether (DBE) is proposed for Li-S batteries. Dissolution of lithium polysulfides is definitely inhibited by DBE. More impressively, the electrolyte ensures a high Coulombic efficiency for Li deposition/stripping (∼99.2%) without dendrite growth. Enhanced cycling stability is demonstrated when coupled with a sulfurized poly(acrylonitrile) (S@pPAN) cathode. This electrolyte offers new insight into electrolyte design for high performance Li-S batteries.