Anode-free lithium metal batteries (AFLMBs) promise high energy density by eliminating the anode and plating lithium directly onto the current collector, yet they suffer from irreversible lithium loss, dendrite growth, unstable SEI, and dead lithium formation, leading to rapid capacity fade [1]. However, developing anode-free lithium metal batteries (AFLMBs) with extended cyclability remains an issue for practical applications due to the high reactivity of Li with limited inventory causes severely low Coulombic efficiency (CE), poor cyclability, and dendrite growth. To address these issues, tremendous effort has been devoted to overcoming the poor affinity of bare copper for lithium and stabilizing Li metal anodes for AFLMBs [2], and many strategies have been reported for enhancing their energy density while maintaining save operation conditions, including architecture design of deposition substrates, management of anode-electrolyte interfaces, electrolyte engineering, and application of external mechanical pressure [3]. These interconnected issues, underscore the need for integrated mitigation strategies for high energy density and practical AFLMBs [4].
Strategies focus on lithiophilic coatings (e.g., multilayer graphene (MLG), graphene oxide (GO), or FGO on Cu) to guide uniform nucleation and suppress dendrites. Zinc or 3D-structured collectors further homogenize current distribution and enhance stripping. Localized high-concentration electrolytes (LHCEs) or FEC additives form robust, LiF-rich SEI layers, reducing side reactions and boosting CE >99.5% over 500 cycles. This directly addresses random nucleation/SEI fracture. Cathode pre-lithiation or Li-supply agents (e.g., sacrificially activated cathodes) replenish lost inventory, enabling >1000 cycles at pouch-cell scale. High-rate protocols and external pressure further stabilize performance. Synergistic multi-component approaches—combining collector modification, advanced electrolytes, and compensation—have achieved >90% retention after 500 cycles, paving the way for commercial AFLMBs despite scalability challenges.