Kaiwen Li, Ping He, Haoshen Zhou
Lithium metal batteries (LMBs) represent the most promising candidates for next-generation rechargeable batteries. However, their practical application faces significant challenges from several detrimental transport processes during operation, such as nonuniform Li + flux, migration of anions under electric fields, and the dissolution and shuttle of cathode active materials to the anode. Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have attracted extensive attention for regulating species transport in LMBs due to their high surface area, high porosity, tunable pore structures, and surface polarity. This Review elucidates the ion transport mechanisms in MOFs and examines how structural modifications influence their ion transport behavior. Then the applications of MOF-mediated species transport regulation across various lithium metal battery components are explored in this Review, including lithium metal anode, high-energy cathodes, liquid electrolytes, and solid-state electrolytes. Finally, the advantages and challenges of MOFs for realizing practical and high-performance LMBs are also discussed.