Carbon-based current collectors for stable aqueous Zn anodes

Aqueous Zn metal batteries (AZMBs) have emerged as promising energy storage systems due to their inherent safety, environmental compatibility, and cost-effectiveness. However, the practical application of AZMBs is severely hindered by critical challenges at the Zn anode, including uncontrolled dendritic growth and parasitic side reactions. Although existing strategies employing excess Zn foil can mitigate anode failure, they inevitably compromise the energy density of the full battery. Recent advances demonstrate that current collector design coupled with controlled electrodeposition enables high-quality Zn deposits, which effectively suppress dendrite formation and side reactions. Carbon-based materials, featured by favorable electrical conductivity, tunable architectures and exceptional chemical stability, have shown unique advantages in constructing/modifying current collectors. This review systematically summarizes recent progresses in the design of carbon-based current collectors for AZMBs, categorizing their functional roles and elucidating the structure-performance relationships that govern Zn deposition behaviors. Mechanistic insights into how carbon materials regulate Zn plating/stripping processes are further provided. Future research directions are finally outlined to guide the development of advanced current collectors, offering both fundamental principles and critical challenges toward high-performance AZMBs.