Anode-free rechargeable lithium metal batteries: Progress and prospects

Due to the rapid growth in the demand for high-energy density lithium battery in energy storage systems and inadequate global lithium reserves, the configuration of limited lithium (e.g., with a thickness of 20 ​μm or less) as anode offers a path for the widespread deployment of lithium metal batteries (LMBs) with high safety as well as high energy density. The contradiction between the high cost of thin Li foil and severe safety hazard of huge excess Li has inspired the development of LMBs with zero-excess Li anode, also called anode-free lithium metal batteries (AFLMBs). In this review, we aim to spotlight the researches of AFLMBs over the past two decades, the main progress and remaining obstacles for the development of AFLMBs are comprehensively evaluated and the feasibility and limitations of the state-of-the-art anode-free designs are also discussed. Moreover, the prospects of AFLMBs with respect to both scientific research and practical application are also given.