From 0 to 100 in 12 minutes—roadmap for lithium–sulfur batteries

Grab a coffee and your car is fully charged—this is how many people envision the future of mobility. But today’s batteries still fall short of this ideal. While modern lithium–ion batteries can charge from 20% to 80% in about 20 to 30 minutes, a full charge takes considerably longer—and fast charging puts significant stress on the cells.

A new international review study published in the journal Advanced Energy Materials now shows how lithium–sulfur batteries (LSBs) could overcome these limitations.

Researchers from Germany, India, and Taiwan—coordinated by Dr. Mozaffar Abdollahifar from the research group of Professor Rainer Adelung at Kiel University (CAU)—systematically analyzed hundreds of recent studies and identified mechanisms that can enable LSBs to operate stably and efficiently even at high charging rates. Their goal: charging times under 30 minutes—ideally as low as 12 minutes—combined with higher energy density and extended driving range.

Lithium–sulfur batteries: More range, faster charging

LSBs are considered promising successors to conventional lithium–ion batteries. While lithium–ion batteries store and release lithium ions within solid electrode materials, LSBs rely on chemical reactions that form new compounds. They use a metallic lithium anode in combination with a sulfur cathode, which theoretically enables an energy density of 2,600 watt-hours per kilogram—about 10 times more than conventional systems. This could allow electric vehicles to travel significantly longer distances on a single charge.

Another advantage: sulfur is low-cost, widely available, environmentally friendly, and non-toxic—offering strong economic arguments for switching to sulfur as a cathode material.

Technical challenges in LSB technology

However, there are still technical hurdles to broad application. Sulfur is an electrical insulator and must be combined with conductive additives—increasing the battery’s weight. The cathode also expands by up to 80% volume expansion during charging and discharging, which can affect mechanical stability and battery lifespan.

Another issue is the “shuttle effect”: During discharge, soluble lithium polysulfides form and migrate to the anode, where they trigger unwanted side reactions—negatively impacting efficiency and stability. “Additionally, needle-like structures known as dendrites can grow on the lithium-metal anode, which may cause short circuits and, in the worst case, fires,” explains lead author Jakob Offermann.

Strategies for fast charging with high safety

The study specifically analyzes works with particularly fast charging times (from 2C, i.e., under 30 minutes) and high sulfur loading—both essential for practical use. Key strategies include:

• Cathode design: Conductive carbon structures such as nanotubes, graphene, or activated carbon improve ion transport and sulfur utilization—even at high material loadings. Defect-rich and doped carbons further help reduce the shuttle effect.
• Catalytic materials: Metal oxides, chalcogenides, or single-atom catalysts accelerate sulfur reactions and mitigate the shuttle effect.
• Optimized separators: Functional separator layers trap polysulfides and promote fast ion transport.
• New electrolyte systems: Highly concentrated and solid electrolytes as well as specific additives enhance conductivity, compatibility with lithium metal, and suppress side reactions.
• Stable anodes: Protective layers such as 3D lithium structures and artificial interfaces prevent dendrite formation.
• New sulfur forms: Monoclinic γ-sulfur enables direct solid-state reactions—eliminating the shuttle effect entirely.
• Material development using artificial intelligence: AI methods accelerate material discovery, predict battery performance, and help design more efficient and safer charging processes.

LSBs as a key technology for the future

“Our analysis shows that fast charging in under 30 minutes—in some cases even under 15 minutes—is realistic while also keeping capacity,” says Abdollahifar. “Current prototypes are achieving promising values of about 2 mAh per square centimeter at practical charging speeds. However, to truly outperform existing lithium–ion batteries, further increases in material loading and performance are required.”

The study combines materials science, electrochemistry, nanotechnology, and battery engineering into an integrated approach for fast-charging batteries. It introduces a new methodology that serves as a guide for developing powerful, long-lasting, and safe LSBs. With clear criteria and a systematic approach, the study provides a practical roadmap for implementing fast-charging LSBs in mobility and energy storage applications.