The pursuit of high energy density enables lithium metal batteries (LMBs) to become the research hotpot again. However, the safety concerns including easy leakage and inflammability of the liquid electrolyte and the performance deterioration due to the uncontrollable Li dendrites growth in liquid electrolyte limit the further development of LMBs. Gel electrolyte, the most promising alternative for the commercial liquid electrolyte, is expected to solve the dilemma faced by the liquid electrolyte because of its higher safety, good flexibility and adaptability to the electrode and high ionic conductivity comparable to that of liquid electrolyte. Deeply understanding the characteristics and the role of the gel electrolyte in LMBs is of great importance to achieve superior electrochemical performance of LMBs. In this review, we comprehensively introduce the chemical fundamental of the gel electrolyte. On this basis, the modification strategies and the recent progress of the gel electrolyte for LMBs are systematically reviewed and particularly highlighted, which are categorized based on composition regulation, structural design and functional design. We endeavor to provide guidance for the rational design of the gel electrolyte with superior properties for LMBs.
Keywords: Li dendrites; Li metal batteries; electrochemical performance; gel electrolyte; modification strategies.
© 2022 Wiley-VCH GmbH.