Alkali metals (Li, Na, and K) are deemed as the ideal anode materials for next-generation high-energy-density batteries because of their high theoretical specific capacity and low redox potentials. However, alkali metal anodes (AMAs) still face some challenges hindering their further applications, including uncontrollable dendrite growth and unstable solid electrolyte interphase during cycling, resulting in low Coulombic efficiency and inferior cycling performance. In this regard, designing 3D current collectors as hosts for AMAs is one of the most effective ways to address the above-mentioned problems, because their sufficient space could accommodate AMAs’ volume expansion, and their high specific surface area could lower the local current density, leading to the uniform deposition of alkali metals. Herein, we review recent progress on the application of 3D Cu-based current collectors in stable and dendrite-free AMAs. The most widely used modification methods of 3D Cu-based current collectors are summarized. Furthermore, the relationships among methods of modification, structure and composition, and the electrochemical properties of AMAs using Cu-based current collectors, are systematically discussed. Finally, the challenges and prospects for future study and applications of Cu-based current collectors in high-performance alkali metal batteries are proposed.

Solid electrolytes are regarded as one of the important materials for solving the problems of lithium dendrite growth and safety hazards in lithium metal batteries (LMBs) because of their excellent chemical and electrochemical stability as well as outstanding flame resistance. However, the application of solid electrolytes in LMBs still faces key challenges such as high interfacial resistance, poor mechanical properties, high cost, and difficulties in mass production. In this regards, a natural and renewable nanomaterial-bacterial cellulose (BC) has received considerable attention in recent years, as its specific advantages can offer solutions to these challenges: its tunable molecular structure enables customized ion transport and enhanced interfacial compatibility, effectively reducing interfacial resistance; its inherent mechanical robustness helps improve the structural stability of the electrolyte; meanwhile, the abundance, environmental friendliness, and cost-effectiveness of BC also provide a feasible foundation for large-scale production and application. This review focuses on the emerging role of BC with its unique three-dimensional (3D) nanofibrillar network as a versatile platform for engineering advanced solid electrolytes. We firstly begin by outlining the structural characteristics and intrinsic properties of BC that underpin its functionality in electrochemical systems, including its high crystallinity, exceptional mechanical robustness, and tunable surface chemistry. Subsequently, we systematically explore how BC serves as a multifunctional platform in composite solid-state electrolytes, reinforcing mechanical strength to suppress lithium dendrites, ensuring continuous ion conduction, and enhancing interfacial stability through strategies like chemical modification and hybridization. Finally, we provide perspectives on the current challenges and future research directions necessary to translate BC-based electrolytes from promising laboratory prototypes to commercially viable components in next-generation, high-performance, and safe LMBs.

Zinc-based batteries (ZBBs) have proven to be tremendously plausible for large-scale electrochemical energy storage applications due to their merits of desirable safety, low-cost, and low environmental impact. Nevertheless, the zinc metal anodes in ZBBs still suffer from many issues, including dendrite growth, hydrogen evolution reactions (HERs), corrosion, passivation, and other types of undesirable side reactions, which severely hinder practical application. The modification of Cu-based current collectors (CCs) has proven to be an efficient method to regulate zinc deposition and prevent dendritic growth, thereby improving the Coulombic efficiency (CE) and lifespan of batteries (e.g., up to 99.977% of CE over 6900 cycles after modification), which is an emerging research topic in recent years. In this review, we provide a systematic overview of the modification of copper-based CCs and their application in zinc metal anodes. The relationships between their modification strategies, nano-micro-structures, and electrochemical performance are systematically reviewed. Ultimately, their promising prospects for future development are also proposed. We hope that this review could contribute to the design of copper-based CCs for zinc-based batteries and facilitate their practical application.

Nanothermites as high-energy-density and high-reaction-rate materials have important applications in civil and military fields. Nevertheless, it is difficult to detect all intermediates and products using conventional experimental methods. In this work, the reaction process of core-shell SiO₂@Al nanoparticles under adiabatic conditions was investigated through molecular dynamics simulations using a reactive force field (ReaxFF). In the microcanonical ensemble, the redox reaction of SiO₂@Al nanothermite becomes explosive due to the huge energy release during Al-O bond formation. The gaseous products are mainly the intermediate products Al₅O and Al₄O as well as the final products Al₂O, AlO, Si and Al. Analyses of the steric charge distributions and evolution show that the Coulomb effect causes the number of intermediates Al₅O (0.32|e|) to increase to the maximum, then slowly decrease and remain stable. But the tetrahedral Al₄O cluster is almost charge-neutral, at −0.05|e|, and the number remained almost constant. This work is expected to provide deeper insights into the complex reaction mechanism of nanothermite.

The tailored crystalline configuration coupled with submicron particles would be conducive to superior ionic conductivity, which could further improve the cycle life of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Here, manganese phosphide (Mn_5.64P₃) particles with hexagonal crystal structure embedded into nitrogen/phosphorus (N/P) co-doped carbon shells (Mn_5.64P₃-C) are successfully prepared by the self-template and recrystallization–self-assembly method. The electrochemical properties of as-synthesized Mn_5.64P₃-C as anode materials for LIBs are systematically investigated. The XRD and HRTEM combined with SAED indicate that the prepared Mn_5.64P₃-C hybrid with the ratio of 1:10 of Mn:C present a hexagonal crystal structure covered with a carbon layer. During charging/discharging at the current density of 0.5 A g⁻¹, the Mn_5.64P₃-C electrode exhibits the reversible capacity of 160 mAh g⁻¹ after 3000 cycles with high-capacity retention. The ex-situ XRD of initial discharge/charge process at different voltages implies that the Mn_5.64P₃ could be transformed to the amorphous Li_xMn_yP_z. The N/P co-doped carbon shells can provide high specific area for electrolyte infiltration, and act as the buffer matrix to suppress the loss of the Mn_5.64P₃ active material during cycling. The Mn_5.64P₃ with the hexagonal crystal structure and N/P co-doped carbon shells could promote the further optimization and development of manganese phosphide for high-performance LIBs.