Recent Developments of the Lithium Metal Anode for Rechargeable Non-Aqueous Batteries

Over the last 40 years, metallic lithium as an anode material has been of great interest owing to its high energy density. However, dendritic lithium growth causes serious safety issues. Awareness and understanding of the Li deposition and stripping processes have grown rapidly especially in recent years, and consequently, there have been many attempts to suppress the Li dendrites. Recent developments that have modified the electrolytes and the Li anode in order to inhibit the growth of Li dendrite and improve cycling performance are summarized. It has been shown that current density, solid‐electrolyte interphase (SEI) film, Li+ transference number, and shear modulus have significant impact on the growth behavior and the Coulombic efficiency. Various methods have been introduced to increase the surface area of the Li anode, enhance Li+ conductivity, form stable SEI film, and improve mechanical strength of electrolytes. These approaches are discussed in details, and the perspectives regarding the future use of Li anode are also outlined. It is hoped that this review will facilitate the future development of Li metal batteries. Recent developments in lithium metal anodes are summarized, and the effects of electrolyte and anode modifications on Li dendrite and cycling performance are discussed. Several feasible strategies are proposed to solve problems of the lithium metal anode, such as increasing the surface area of Li anode, enhancing Li+ conductivity, forming stable SEI (solid‐electrolyte interphase) films, designing solid state electrolytes, and coating the anode.