The importance of electrode interfaces and interphases for rechargeable metal batteries

Rechargeable metal batteries are one of the most investigated electrochemical energy storage system at academic and industrial level because of their possibility to store higher energy compared to their counterparts employing carbon as an anode material. However, to produce reliable and durable metal batteries, it is of paramount importance to understand and circumvent (or ultimately overcome) the issues associated with the chemically reactive, ionically blocking and mechanically unstable interfaces and interphases of the metal electrode. Here, recent progress and the future perspective of this field are discussed from a physicochemical perspective while, at the same time, fundamentally relevant questions are raised. Metal electrode interfaces and interphases are critical for the development of future high-energy metal batteries. Here, Dr Jelena Popovic-Neuber discusses the state of the art, issues and strategies to improve the stability of metal electrodes toward practical battery systems.