LITHIUM-SULFUR BATTERY CONTAINING AN ELECTRODE-PROTECTING LAYER

Provided is a rechargeable alkali metal-sulfur cell comprising an anode layer, an electrolyte and a porous separator, a cathode layer, and a discrete anode-protecting layer disposed between the anode layer and the separator and/or a discrete cathode-protecting layer disposed between the separator and the cathode active material layer; wherein the anode-protecting layer or cathode-protecting layer comprises a conductive sulfonated elastomer composite having from 0.01% to 40% by weight of a conductive reinforcement material and from 0.01% to 40% by weight of an electrochemically stable inorganic filler dispersed in a sulfonated elastomeric matrix material and the protective layer has a thickness from 1 nm to 50 μm, a fully recoverable tensile strain from 2% to 500%, a lithium ion conductivity from 10S/cm to 5×10S/cm, and an electrical conductivity from 10S/cm to 100 S/cm.