ABSTRACT
High-performance rechargeable lithium ion batteries (LIBs) have been one of the most important power sources in today’s portable electronics and practical electric vehicle and plugin electric vehicle applications. However, many crucial challenges could be addressed to obtain high-performance LIBs for further practical applications. Since the successful isolation of single graphene nanosheets via mechanical exfoliation in 2004 awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2010, graphene nanosheets (GNSs), a new class of two-dimensional (one atom thick) carbon allotrope arranged in a hexagonal lattice with very strong sp2-hybridized bonds, have attracted great interests in high-performance LIBs. Owing to various remarkable properties including ultra-high surface area, high electrical conductivity, and high chemical stability, GNSs show promising advantages in the applications of high-performance LIBs. This chapter highlights the recent development and understanding of GNS anodes and their applications, including (i) brief synthesis methods of GNSs; (ii) detailed modication approaches of GNSs; (iii) designs of free-standing GNS paper; and (iv) signicant effects of various GNS anodes on lithium storage behavior, and thereby increased anode performance of LIBs.
