Metal-organic frameworks and their composites for advanced lithium-ion batteries: Synthesis, progress and prospects

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are among the most promising materials for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) owing to their high surface area, periodic porosity, adjustable pore size, and controllable chemical composition. For instance, their unique porous structures promote electrolyte penetration, ions transport, and make them ideal for battery separators. Regulating the chemical composition of MOF can introduce more active sites for electrochemical reactions. Therefore, MOFs and their related composites have been extensively and thoroughly explored for LIBs. However, the reported reviews solely include the applications of MOFs in the electrode materials of LIBs and rarely involve other aspects. A systematic review of the application of MOFs in LIBs is essential for understanding the mechanism of MOFs and better designing related MOFs battery materials. This review systematically evaluates the latest developments in pristine MOFs and MOF composites for LIB applications, including MOFs as the main materials (anode, cathode, separators, and electrolytes) to auxiliary materials (coating layers and additives for electrodes). Furthermore, the synthesis, modification methods, challenges, and prospects for the application of MOFs in LIBs are discussed.