Recent Progress of Electrolyte Design for Lithium Metal Batteries

Abstract Lithium metal batteries (LMBs) bring a bright future for the industrialization with higher voltage and energy density than conventional lithium ion batteries (LIBs) as lithium metal offers an ultra‐high specific capacity and the lowest electrochemical potential. However, they tend to confront unstable interface with electrolytes, uncontrollable dendrite growth and notorious safety concerns, seriously blocking the practical application of lithium metal anodes. Electrolyte is always considered as the most critical factor, directly affecting the overall battery behavior. In this case, the rearrangement of active components or designing novel electrolytes become indispensable approaches and tremendous efforts are required to seek for positive solutions. Herein, we provide recent advancements in prevailing liquid, solid and gel electrolytes from the perspective of their potential application in LMBs. The key scientific issues related to enhanced performance have also been highlighted.