Carbon-based current collectors for stable aqueous Zn anodes

Aqueous Zn metal batteries (AZMBs) have emerged as promising energy-storage systems owing to their inherent safety, environmental compatibility, and cost-effectiveness. However, their practical application is severely hindered by critical challenges pertaining to Zn anodes, including uncontrolled dendrite growth and parasitic side reactions at this anode. Although employing excess Zn foil can mitigate anode failure, this strategy inevitably compromises the energy density of full batteries. Recent advances have demonstrated that current collector design coupled with controlled electrodeposition can generate high-quality Zn deposits, which effectively suppress dendrite formation and side reactions. Carbon-based materials featuring favorable electrical conductivities, tunable architecture, and exceptional chemical stabilities have shown unique advantages in constructing/modifying current collectors. This review systematically summarizes the recent progress 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 the Zn plating/stripping processes are provided. Finally, future research directions are proposed to guide the development of advanced current collectors for high-performance AZMBs.