Status and challenges facing representative anode materials for rechargeable lithium batteries

Rechargeable lithium batteries have been widely regarded as a revolutionary technology to store renewable energy sources and extensively researched in the recent several decades. As an indispensable part of lithium batteries, the evolution of anode materials has significantly promoted the development of lithium batteries. However, since conventional lithium batteries with graphite anodes cannot meet the ever-increasing demands in different application scenarios (such as electric vehicles and large-scale power supplies) which require high energy/power density and long cycle life, various improvement strategies and alternative anode materials have been exploited for better electrochemical performance. In this review, we detailedly introduced the characteristics and challenges of four representative anode materials for rechargeable lithium batteries, including graphite, Li4Ti5O12, silicon, and lithium metal. And some of the latest advances are summarized, which mainly contain the modification strategies of anode materials and partially involve the optimization of electrode/electrolyte interface. Finally, we make the conclusive comments and perspectives, and draw a development timeline on the four anode materials. This review aims to offer a good primer for newcomers in the lithium battery field and benefit the structure and material design of anodes for advanced rechargeable lithium batteries in the future.