Lithium metal battery is one of the most promising candidates for high power portable electronic devices and long-range electric vehicles, due to its ultra-high theoretical energy density when compared with the current commercial Li-ion batteries. Meanwhile, the metallic lithium also brings safety concern because Li⁺ ions tend to form lithium dendrite on the uneven surface of anode, and subsequently cause short circuit, fire or explosion of the battery. In this review, we summarized the formation mechanism of lithium dendrite and the corresponding inhibiting strategies via functional separators in lithium metal batteries. The lithium dendrite inhibiting strategies via functional separators can be classified into three catalogs: (i) block the growth of lithium dendrite by mechanical barrier, (ii) redistribute the Li⁺ ion flux when passing through the separator and (iii) induce the uniform deposition of Li⁺ ions on anode by nucleation sites. The recent advances of the above strategies are reviewed and discussed, existing critical problems and future perspective of functional separators for lithium dendrite inhibition are also discussed.

金属锂电池由于与目前的商用锂离子电池相比具有极高的理论能量密度，因此是大功率便携式电子设备和远程电动汽车最有希望的候选者之一。同时，金属锂也带来安全隐患，因为Li ⁺离子往往会在阳极的不平坦表面上形成锂枝晶，并随后引起电池短路，起火或爆炸。在这篇综述中，我们总结了锂枝晶的形成机理及通过功能隔板在金属锂电池中的相应抑制策略。通过功能性隔膜进行的锂枝晶抑制策略可分为三类：（i）通过机械屏障阻止锂枝晶的生长；（ii）通过隔膜时重新分配Li ⁺离子通量；以及（iii）引起均匀沉积李⁺阳极上的成核离子。回顾和讨论了上述策略的最新进展，还讨论了用于锂枝晶抑制的功能性隔膜存在的关键问题和未来展望。