Effective strategies to accelerate the redox kinetics of sulfur cathodes for room-temperature sodium-sulfur batteries

Room-temperature sodium-sulfur (RT Na-S) batteries show great promise as leading contenders for advanced stationary energy storage systems, owing to their impressive energy density, resource efficiency, and ecofriendliness. Nonetheless, the sluggish redox kinetics of sulfur (S) cathodes pose major challenges that impede the sustainable advancement and practical deployment of RT Na-S batteries. Recent research has increasingly focused on the effective design of carbon-based materials at the S cathodes and the incorporation of suitable catalysts to enhance redox kinetics in RT Na-S batteries as a proven strategy. In this review, the fundamental principles of RT Na-S batteries and the reasons behind the slow redox kinetics of S cathodes are initially elucidated, along with providing essential guidelines for cathodes design. Subsequently, detailed discussions are presented on carbon materials with exceptional structures, including metals (such as metal particles, single-atom metals, etc.), metal oxides, metal sulfides, metal nitrides, metal carbides, heterostructures, and MXene derivatives. These materials are highlighted for their ability to boost the redox kinetics of S cathodes through material design and optimization. Lastly, the future trajectory of catalyst development for the cathode of RT Na-S batteries is outlined in relation to current research status. It is hoped that this comprehensive review offers valuable insights into key considerations for the development of future catalysts for RT Na-S batteries.