• Carbon-based current collectors provide a critical strategy to stabilize aqueous Zn anodes by regulating Zn electrodeposition and suppressing dendrite growth and parasitic side reactions.
• 3D carbon architectures reduce local current density, eliminate tip effects, and accommodate volume changes, promoting uniform Zn plating/stripping.
• 2D carbon materials such as graphene and MXene serve as functional modified layers or carriers to direct Zn deposition through surface chemistry and single-atom engineering.
• Rational current collector design improves Zn utilization and energy density, addressing battery performance limitations that electrolyte and separator engineering alone cannot overcome.