Liquid Metals for Advanced Batteries: Recent Progress and Future Perspective

Abstract

The shift toward sustainable energy has increased the demand for efficient energy storage systems to complement renewable sources like solar and wind. While lithium-ion batteries dominate the market, challenges such as safety concerns and limited energy density drive the search for new solutions. Liquid metals (LMs) have emerged as promising materials for advanced batteries due to their unique properties, including low melting points, high electrical conductivity, tunable surface tension, and strong alloying tendency. Enabled by the unique properties of LMs, four key scientific functions of LMs in batteries are highlighted: active materials, self-healing, interface stabilization, and conductivity enhancement. These applications can improve battery performance, safety, and lifespan. This review also discusses current challenges and future opportunities for using LMs in next-generation energy storage systems.