Unlocking the potential of anode-free lithium metal batteries: innovative strategies for extended cycle life

초록

Anode-free lithium metal batteries (AFLMBs) are considered promising candidates for next-generation energy storage owing to their high energy density and simplified cell configuration. Despite these advantages, their practical utilization is critically hampered by inherent limitations. The limited lithium supply leads to low initial Coulombic efficiency and continuous lithium depletion during cycling, while nonuniform lithium plating on the copper current collector induces dendrite formation and the accumulation of dead lithium. These factors act synergistically to accelerate capacity fading and shorten cycle life. To address these challenges, intensive research efforts have focused on strategies such as electrolyte engineering, current collector modification, the introduction of an excess lithium source, and cycle optimization. These approaches have shown significant potential to mitigate lithium loss, improve deposition uniformity, stabilize electrode–electrolyte interfaces, and enhance cycling stability. This review provides a comprehensive overview of recent advances in these strategies, discusses their underlying mechanisms, and outlines the remaining challenges and perspectives toward the practical realization of AFLMBs. © 2026 Science Press and Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. and Science Press. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.

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