Lithiated Graphene Current Collector for Stable Anode‐Free and Anode‐Less Lithium Metal Batteries

Abstract Anode‐free and anode‐less lithium (Li) metal batteries provide cell safety and afford maximum energy density. However, their practical applications are hampered by poor cycling performances. In this study, a composite of LiC₆ phase in highly reduced graphene (HrGO, LC‐HrGO) is proposed as a current collector for Li metal plating. LC‐HrGO provided homogenous plating sites and favorable conductivity, which facilitated Li metal plating with reduced nucleation barrier. The LiC₆ in composite is not easily delithiated, and the HrGO is not easily lithiated. The obtained anode‐free batteries based on the LC‐HrGO current collector showed a capacity retention of 60 % after 100 cycles, and the corresponding anode‐less batteries indicated a stable specific capacity of 134.5 mAh g⁻¹ after 250 cycles and a remarkable rate capacity of 130.1 mA h g⁻¹ at 5 C. The work provides valuable concepts for fabricating promising current collectors towards Li metal batteries and beyond for high‐level services.