Recent advances in the cathode materials and solid-state electrolytes for lithium sulfur batteries

•Solving the challenges of the cathode materials and solid-state electrolytes will accelerate the commercialization of lithium-sulfur batteries (LSBs)•Chemical adsorption is a promising method for efficient integration of sulfur onto porous carbon-based electrode materials, thereby mitigating the shuttle effect.•Metal-based nano-electrocatalysts should form an integral part of the cathode materials to drive the kinetics of the polysulfides.•Garnet-based oxide solid electrolytes provide the best stability against lithium metal and lithium polysulfides, making them the most promising candidates for LSBs. Lithium-sulfur batteries (LSBs) have sparked a lot of attention due to their high theoretical energy density and cost-effectiveness. However, several challenges, notably unstable cycle life and low sulfur consumption, have hampered the development of workable LSBs for commercial use. Most of these challenges arise from the cathode materials and liquid electrolytes. This mini-review attempts to highlight the current advancements in cathode materials and solid-state electrolytes for the development of next-generation LSBs.