Carbon materials with a high specific surface area are usually preferred to construct the air cathode of lithium–air batteries due to their abundant sites for oxygen reduction and discharge product growth. However, the high surface area also amplifies electrolyte degradation during charging, which would become the threshold of cyclability after addressing the issue of electrode passivation and pore clogging, but is usually overlooked in relevant research. Herein, it is proven that the critical influence of cathode surface area on electrolyte c...