Stable alkali metal anodes enabled by crystallographic optimization – a review

Abstract

Alkali metal anodes have been regarded as an ideal candidate for next generation high-energy electrode couples due to their ultrahigh specific capacity and the lowest redox potential. However, their real-world application has been severely hampered by their highly uncontrollable chemical reactivity, which directly dictates metal dendrite growth behavior during cycling, low coulombic efficiency, and even safety concerns. Crystallographic optimization based on metal anode materials provides a fundamental solution for suppressing dendrite growth and enabling a stable metal anode, which has attracted extensive attention. In this perspective, we summarize the recent advances in the crystallographic optimization for dendrite prevention and suppression and highlight the recent progress of crystallographic optimization for a new generation of rechargeable batteries, including lithium metal batteries, sodium metal batteries, potassium metal batteries, zinc metal batteries and magnesium metal batteries. The challenges and prospects for the future development of crystallographic optimization are discussed to shed light on the future research of crystallographic optimization for boosting the performances of rechargeable batteries.