The progress on aluminum-based anode materials for lithium-ion batteries

Abstract

Aluminum is considered a promising anode candidate for lithium-ion batteries due to its low cost, high capacity and low equilibrium potential for lithiation/delithiation. However, the compact surface oxide layer, insufficient lithium diffusion kinetics and non-negligible volume change of aluminum-based anode materials severely hamper their extended application. Thus, significant efforts have been dedicated in tackling these challenges towards practical applications. In this review, we initially focus on the electrochemical lithium storage mechanism and introduce our current understanding of the reported reactions accounting for the performance degradation. Then, thus far, we summarize the strategies applied for boosting the lithium storage performance of the aluminum-based anode materials including nanostructure construction, surface modification, alloy designation and electrolyte optimization. Finally, present challenges and future outlook on aluminum-based anode materials are depicted. We hope that this review delivers an overall picture of the recent progress on aluminum-based anode materials and inspires more research in the future.