Lithium-ion batteries: Recent progress in improving the cycling and rate performances of transition metal oxide anodes by incorporating graphene-based materials

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have recently gained considerable research interests as one of the most promising energy sources for portable electronic devices owing to their low maintenance cost, low self-discharge rate, high Coulombic efficiency, high energy density and long cycling life. However, with the recent emergence of highenergy demanding applications, including powering of hybrid and electric vehicles, significant research efforts have been directed towards increasing the electrochemical performance and cost-effectiveness of LIBs by developing low-cost electrode materials with high reversible capacity, cycling stability and rate capability. One such effective strategy is to replace conventional anode materials with high-capacity materials, especially transition metal oxides (TMOs), owing to their high theoretical specific capacities, ease of availability, nontoxicity and low-costs. Nonetheless, TMOs have low ionic and electrical conductivities, and they are susceptible to large volume expansion/contraction during lithiation/delithiation, which, in turn, causes poor rate performance and rapid capacity deterioration upon cycling. Interestingly, the aforementioned drawbacks can be addressed by introducing novel carbon-based materials, in particular, graphene and its derivatives, due to their large specific surface area, high electrical conductivity and superior mechanical strength. These unique properties enable graphene-based materials to supply more active sites for lithium-ion storage, while also providing additional conductive pathways for electron and lithium-ion transport, and accommodating enormous volume changes during cycling. Therefore, this review highlights the recent efforts to increase the cycling life and rate capability of TMOs by incorporating graphene-based materials. Merits, challenges and prospects for advancing the performance and sustainability of LIBs are also discussed.

Automated summary

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have gained significant attention as energy sources for portable electronic devices, and efforts to improve their performance have focused on developing low-cost electrode materials with high reversible capacity. This review highlights the use of graphene-based materials to enhance the cycling life and rate capability of LIBs.