Lithium–sulfur batteries (LSBs) hold great promise as one of the next‐generation power supplies for portable electronics and electric vehicles due to their ultrahigh energy density, cost effectiveness, and environmental benignity. However, their practical application has been impeded owing to the electronic insulation of sulfur and its intermediates, serious shuttle effect, large volume variation, and uncontrollable formation of lithium dendrites. Over the past decades, many pioneering strategies have been developed to address these issues via improving electrodes, electrolytes, separators and binders. Remarkably, polymers can be readily applied to all these aspects due to their structural designability, functional versatility, superior chemical stability and processability. Moreover, their lightweight and rich resource characteristics enable the production of LSBs with high‐volume energy density at low cost. Surprisingly, there have been few reviews on development of polymers in LSBs. Herein, breakthroughs and future perspectives of emerging polymers in LSBs are scrutinized. Significant attention is centered on recent implementation of polymers in each component of LSBs with an emphasis on intrinsic mechanisms underlying their specific functions. The review offers a comprehensive overview of state‐of‐the‐art polymers for LSBs, provides in‐depth insights into addressing key challenges, and affords important resources for researchers working on electrochemical energy systems.

Polymers in Lithium–Sulfur Batteries Emerging organic polymers have played important roles in improving the electrodes, electrolytes, separators, binders, and interface between multifunctional components in lithium–sulfur batteries. In article number 2103798 by Zhiqun Lin, Yingkui Yang, and co‐workers, a comprehensive overview of state‐of‐the‐art polymers for lithium–sulfur batteries is summarized that provides insights into addressing future challenges.

Lithium‐ion batteries using inorganic electrode materials have been long demonstrated as the most promising power supplies for portable electronics, electric vehicles, and smart grids. However, the increasing cost and descending availability of lithium resources in combination with the limited electrochemical performance and eco‐sustainability have created serious concerns with the competitiveness of lithium‐ion batteries. There is a pressing need for the discovery of new redox chemistries between the alternative host materials and charge carriers. Organic nonlithium batteries using organic electrodes have recently attracted considerable interests as the future substitutes for energy storage systems, because of their combined merits (e.g., natural abundance, rich chemistry of organics, rapid kinetics, and multielectron redox) of Li‐free batteries and organic electrodes. Herein, an overview on the state‐of‐the‐art developments of emerging carbonyl polymers for nonlithium metal‐ion batteries is comprehensively presented with a primary focus on polyquinones and polyimides from the perspective of chain engineering. Six distinct categories, including monovalent (Na+, K+) and multivalent (Mg2+, Zn2+, Ca2+, Al3+) metal‐ions batteries are individually outlined. Advantages of polymer electrode materials and characteristics of charge storage mechanisms are highlighted. Some key performance parameters such as specific capacity, rate capability, and cycle stability are carefully discussed. Moreover, aqueous nonlithium batteries based on carbonyl polymers are specially scrutinized due to the less reactivity of Li‐free metals when exposed in aqueous electrolytes and ambient atmosphere. Current challenges and future prospects of developing polymer‐based batteries are proposed finally. This review provides a fundamental guidance for the future advancement of next‐generation sustainable batteries beyond lithium‐ion batteries.

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