Lithium Host:Advanced architecture components for lithium metal anode

With the increasing demand for high energy and power energy storage devices, lithium metal batteries have received widespread attention. Li metal has long been regarded as an ideal candidate for negative electrode due to its high theoretical specific capacity (3860 mAh g−1) and low redox potential (-3.04 V vs. standard hydrogen electrode). However, notorious dendrite, low coulombic efficiency (CE), fast electrolyte consumption, large volume change and formation of “dead lithium” during cycling hinder its practical applications for decades. In order to address these issues and improve the electrochemical performance and safety of lithium metal batteries, tuning the lithium deposition via structuring a host for Li metal anode has been widely recognized as an efficient method. Thus, this paper overviews the recent progress in engineering Li host structure, with the focus on different approaches and design criteria. In the end, the perspectives for boosting the practical application of Li metal negative electrode are also proposed.