Designing Current Collectors to Stabilize Li Metal Anodes

Rechargeable batteries employing Li metal anodes have gained increasing attention due to their high energy density. Nevertheless, low stability and reversibility of Li metal anodes severely impeded their practical applications. Designing current collectors (CCs) with reasonable structure and composition is an efficient approach to stabilizing the Li metal anodes. However, an in-depth comprehensive understanding about the design principles and modification strategies of CCs for realizing stable Li metal anodes is still lacking. Herein, a critical review focusing on the rational design of CCs for Li metal anodes is summarized. First, the requirements for CCs in Li metal anodes are elucidated to clarify the design objectives of CCs. Then, the modification strategies of CCs including lithiophilic site modification, 3D architecture construction, protective layer modification, and crystalline plane engineering, as well as the corresponding principles are highlighted. On this basis, the recent progress in the development of CCs for Li metal anodes is discussed. Finally, future directions are suggested to focus on developing operando monitoring technology, and designing the CCs and cells under practical conditions close to the requirements of commercial applications. This review will spur more insightful researches toward advanced CCs, and promote their commercialization.