This paper summarizes the many different materials that have been studied and used as the current collectors of positive electrodes for lithium-based batteries. Aluminum is by far the most common of these and a detailed literature exists, examining the stability in many different electrolytes. Depending on the salts and additives, different types of protective film are formed. The solubility of these films in the electrolyte is thought to be a determining factor in the overall stability of the current collector. However, various other materials, not all of which form a protective layer, have found application in particular systems. (c) 2005 The Electrochemical Society.