A pyrolyzed polyacrylonitrile/sulfur nanocomposite (SPAN) was used as a positive electrode material for a room temperature K-S battery operated in carbonate electrolyte. SPAN presented a high reversible capacity of 270 mA h g-1 (710 mA h gsulfur-1) and excellent rate performance, which demonstrate that it is a promising positive electrode material for K-ion and K-batteries.