A concise review on the role of graphene in enhancing the electrochemical performances of alloy-type anodes in alkali metal ion batteries

Abstract

Alloy-type anode materials, including Si, Ge, Sn, Sb, P, and Bi, usually have high theoretical specific capacities for electrochemical alkali metal ion storage. However, they experience significant volume expansion/contraction during electrochemical alloying/dealloying with alkali metal ions, leading to poor cycling stability and low rate capabilities. As a result, various strategies have been proposed to suppress the volume variations and pulverization of alloy-type anode materials, such as incorporating them with carbonaceous materials. Graphene and its derivatives, with their ideal two-dimensional crystal morphology and unique chemical/physical properties, are often used as functional components to improve the electrochemical performance of alloy-type anode materials. This review emphasizes the recent research advances in alloy-type anode materials modified with graphene and its derivatives. It specifically covers the preparation methods, the structural and morphological characteristics, and the electrochemical performances of Sn/graphene, Sb/graphene, Ge/graphene, Bi/graphene, and P/graphene composites for alkali metal ion batteries. The ongoing developments in improving the electrochemical performance of alloy-type anodes with graphene are also speculated.