ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses developments in anode research and the new opportunities opened up by the use of carbon materials, especially single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNTs) and multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWNTs), as anode materials in lithium ion batteries (LIBs). As carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have unique electrochemical properties and Li+-ion storage mechanisms, it focuses on the effect of the morphology, structure, and dimension of CNTs on the electrochemical performance of LIBs. Fabrication of both SWNT and MWNT free-standing flexible papers having stable thermal and mechanical properties has been reported. The electrochemical performance of CNTs is greatly influenced by their morphology; that is, the degree of defects, the length of the buckytubes, and the diameter of the CNTs play a crucial role in the performance of CNT-based anode materials. The length of the CNT is one of the important influential factors determining the morphological, mechanical, electronic, and electrochemical properties of the nanotubes.
