Recent progress on covalent organic frameworks-based sulfur cathodes in lithium‑sulfur batteries

Lithium‑sulfur (Li-S) batteries have garnered significant attention due to their high theoretical energy density and the abundance of sulfur, making them a promising next-generation energy storage technology. Despite considerable progress in their development, the performance of Li-S batteries is hindered by challenges such as sluggish reaction kinetics, the polysulfide shuttle effect, and significant volume changes during cycling. Covalent organic frameworks (COFs), with their structural tunability and tailorable properties, have emerged as promising materials to overcome these issues. This review focuses on recent advancements of COF-based sulfur cathodes in Li-S batteries. Various design strategies of pristine COFs, modified COFs, and COF-based composites to improve the electrochemical performance of cathodes in Li-S batteries are systematically summarized. Finally, the main challenges and future prospects of COF-based sulfur cathodes are thoroughly discussed. This comprehensive review provides valuable insights into the rational design of COF-based sulfur cathodes, paving the way for the development of high-performance Li-S batteries.