Design principles of MOF-related materials for highly stable metal anodes in secondary metal-based batteries

Secondary metal-based batteries (lithium metal batteries, sodium metal batteries, and zinc metal batteries) have appealed to increasing attention because of their high energy density. However, uncontrolled metal dendrite growth and infinite volume expansion can readily cause cycle performance deterioration and serious security concerns, which restrict their practical applications to a large extent. Recently, some coping strategies based on metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and their derived materials have been proposed that demonstrate significant availability and great promise in constructing highly stable metal anodes. However, a relatively comprehensive overview that dissects the functions and applications of MOF-based materials based on the structure features of diverse MOFs and simultaneously covers all kinds of metal-based batteries is still absent. Here, according to recent achievements, we roundly summarize the design principles of MOF-related materials for stable metal (lithium, sodium, and zinc) anodes and further provide some suggestions for future developments. This review not only highlights important roles of MOF structures and diverse treatment strategies, but also endeavors to provide some enlightening guidance in designing dendrite-free metal-based batteries.