Applications of Graphene in Lithium-based Rechargeable Batteries

Abstract

The lithium-based rechargeable batteries including lithium-ion and lithium-sulfur have attracted much attention for lithium possessing the extremely high energy density. The carbonaceous materials play a vital role as carbon electrodes and key components for the lithium-based rechargeable batteries. The unique two-dimensional spatial structure gives graphene excellent electrical conductivity, physical properties and huge specific surface area. These make graphene a very promising material for energy storage applications. As the basic structural element of some carbon allotropes, graphene provides a chance to design and assemble some novel high performance electrode materials. Therefore, graphene-based materials with well-controlled nanostructure show great potentials in lithium-based rechargeable batteries. The progresses of the related studies and applications are summarized. The challenges and prospects are also commented and discussed. Finally, key issues related to practical applications of graphene are briefly discussed.