Lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries have been explored extensively for high-capacity electric-power storage, but their practical application has been prevented by severe issues stemming from the use of a lithium anode and an organic-liquid electrolyte in which Li2Sx intermediates of the cell discharge reaction are soluble and shuttle to the anode. Both problems are addressed using bis(4-nitrophenyl) carbonate as an additive in the organic-liquid electrolyte. The soluble Li2Sx polysulfides react with the additive to create insoluble polysulfides with a lithium byproduct; this byproduct reacts with the Li-metal anode to create an anode passivation layer that is a good Li+ conductor, which allows for safe and rapid plating/stripping of lithium metal with a low impedance.
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