Overcoming the obstacles of lithium-metal anodes for high-energy batteries

The impressive theoretical specific capacity and negative potential of lithium have led to its status as a prime candidate for anodes in secondary lithium batteries. Lithium metal electrodes are an area of growing importance in this field. Despite the promise that lithium batteries hold, several practical issues impede their widespread use, such as short cycle life, low coulombic efficiency, and safety concerns including combustion and explosion. The growth of lithium dendrites during battery discharge is widely recognized as the cause of these problems. In this manuscript, we present a comprehensive review of current understanding and existing issues associated with lithium metal electrodes.