Layered Double Hydroxide@Carbon Composites in Lithium-Sulfur Batteries: Synthesis Strategies, Shuttle Suppression Mechanisms, and Applications

Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries are promising candidates for next-generation energy storage due to their high theoretical energy density, cost-effectiveness, and environmental sustainability. However, issues such as polysulfides shuttling and lithium dendrite formation hinder their practical applications. Layered double hydroxides (LDHs) and their composites with carbon-based materials have emerged as innovative solutions, offering synergistic advantages such as improved chemical adsorption, enhanced reaction kinetics, and robust physical confinement of active materials. This review explores the structural and functional properties of LDH@carbon-based materials and their applications in Li-S batteries. Key aspects include the synthesis methods of LDH derivatives and their role as sulfur hosts, separators, and interlayers. By highlighting their performance-improving mechanisms, this paper identifies the challenges and research gaps and the importance of continued development in this field to advance Li-S battery technology.