Kinetic limits and enhancement of graphite anode for fast-charging lithium-ion batteries

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) enabling fast charging are one of the primary tasks for accelerating the widespread adoption of electric vehicles. As a dominant anode material in current commercial LIBs, graphite (Gr) exhibits high energy density, low cost, and stable electrochemical performance but suffers from low capacity and hazard from Li metal plating when operating at a high current density. This is due to the sluggish kinetics when Li ions (Li+) are intercalating into graphite. Herein, we first discuss the kinetic processes for Li+ transferring from the electrolyte to the graphite anode and figure out the potential rate-determining steps. Then, we summarize the proposed strategies to enhance the rate performance of graphite in the past few years. Finally, we highlight further efforts put into the deep understanding and effective ways to achieve high-performance graphite anode that enables fast-charging LIBs.