Metal–Organic Framework Materials for High‐Capacity and Thermal‐Regulating Lithium‐Ion Battery Anodes

Abstract

Metal–organic framework (MOF)‐based anodes offer a unique combination of high surface area, tunable porosity, and uniformly distributed active sites. This enables rapid lithium‐ion diffusion and robust accommodation of volumetric changes during cycling. Among these materials, zeolite‐type imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs) distinguish themselves through their zeolite‐like topology, ultra‐porosity, and exceptional thermal and chemical stability, providing a rigid yet open scaffold for reversible lithium storage. Likewise, MIL‐type frameworks leverage flexible metal–carboxylate linkages to form stable solid‐electrolyte interface layers, yielding high Coulombic efficiency and prolonged cycle life. However, the practical implementation of pristine MOF anodes is hampered by inherently low electronic conductivity, framework degradation via repeated ligand coordination, and cost‐intensive, multi‐step synthesis protocols. To address these challenges, recent strategies include thermal carbonization to generate metal‑oxide/carbon composites, hybridization with conductive networks such as graphene or carbon nanotubes to create core–shell or three‐dimensional architectures, and heteroatom doping to introduce additional redox‐active centers. Concurrently, simplified, room‐temperature or microwave‐assisted one‐pot syntheses using inexpensive precursors promise to enhance scalability and reduce environmental impact. By surmounting conductivity, stability, and manufacturability issues, MOF‐derived anodes hold significant promise for next‐generation lithium‐ion batteries, offering improvements in energy density, rate capability, and thermal safety critical for electric vehicles and grid‐scale energy storage.