Performance improvement of magnesium sulfur batteries with modified non-nucleophilic electrolytes

The combination of a magnesium anode with a sulfur cathode is one of the most promising electrochemical couples because of its advantages of good safety, low cost, and a high theoretical energy density. However, magnesium sulfur batteries are still in a very early stage of research and development, and the discovery of suitable electrolytes is the key challenge for further improvement. Here, a new preparation method for non-nucleophilic electrolyte solutions using a two-step reaction in one-pot is presented, which provides a feasible way to optimize the physiochemical properties of the electrolyte for the application in magnesium sulfur batteries. The first use of modified electrolytes in glymes and binary solvents of glyme and ionic liquid shows beneficial effects on the performance of magnesium sulfur batteries. New insights into the reaction mechanism of electrochemical conversion between magnesium and sulfur are also investigated. Magnesium sulfur battery is one of the most promising energy storage systems. A new synthetic method for non-nucleophilic electrolytes provides a feasible way to optimize the physiochemical properties of the electrolytes for magnesium sulfur batteries. The first use of modified electrolytes in glymes and binary solvents shows significant beneficial effects on the performance of magnesium sulfur batteries.