Spurred by EVs and electrified aviation, global demand for lithium-ion batteries is expected to more than double its 2023 levels by 2030, far outstripping demand, according to S&P Global Insights. New batteries must be powerful, but also affordable enough for industry to adopt on a massive scale. As a battery component, sulfur—low-cost, abundant and with a high theoretical specific capacity—seems tailor-made for the challenge. But so far, that theoretical capacity has stayed theoretical.