Anode-less Li-based metal batteries and beyond: Challenges, strategies, and prospects

Traditional lithium-ion batteries struggle to meet the escalating energy density demands of electric vehicles, electronic devices and other applications, precipitating a surge in interest towards high-energy–density (HED) batteries. Anode-less lithium metal batteries (AL-LMBs), which obviate excess metal inventory, emerge as an enticing HED solution with reduced production costs and attenuated safety concerns in contrast to conventional metal-based batteries. Nevertheless, the practical realization of AL-LMBs encounters formidable challenges, including low Coulombic efficiency (CE) and the specter of metal dendrite formation. Hence, delving into the electrochemical intricacies and failure mechanisms of AL-LMBs assumes paramount importance, alongside formulating efficacious strategies to actualize HED AL-LMBs. This review endeavors to spotlight recent strides in AL-LMB research, offering comprehensive insights into their practical deployment. It comprehensively synthesizes the evolution of AL-LMBs over the past two decades, delineates persisting hurdles, and scrutinizes recent breakthroughs in AL-LMBs through effective policies and collaborative strategies. Moreover, it explores cutting-edge innovations in Li-beyond (Na, K, Zn, and Al) anode-less metal batteries (AL-MBs), proffering promising avenues to surmount extant impediments. Ultimately, future opportunities and potential trajectories for AL-MBs are evaluated, with the aim of catalyzing deeper exploration in this burgeoning field.