A Review of Carbon-Based Materials for Safe Lithium Metal Anodes

Lithium metal is a promising anode material with extremely high theoretical specific capacity (3,860 mA h g^-1), low density (0.59 g cm^-3), and the lowest negative electrochemical potential of all potential candidates (-3.04 V vs. the standard hydrogen electrode). However, uncontrollable Li dendrite growth leads to a short lifespan and catastrophic safety hazards, which has restricted its practical application for many years. Some effective strategies have been adopted regarding these challenges, including electrolyte modification, introducing a protective layer, nanostructured anodes, and membrane modification. Carbon-based materials have been demonstrated to significantly address the challenge of Li dendrites. In this review, carbon-based materials and their application and challenges in lithium metal anode protection have been discussed in detail. In addition, the applications of lithium anodes protected by carbon-based materials in Li-S batteries and Li-O₂ batteries have been summarized.