Advanced Graphene Materials for Sodium/Potassium/Aluminum-Ion Batteries

Lithium-ion technology has led a revolution of portable electronics and is being widely used for large-scale applications such as electric vehicles. However, the main problem associated with the shortage of lithium resource poses a challenge for the traditional lithium-ion prototype and calls for exploration of alternative batteries. The bottleneck of the lithium-ion battery, as such, has prompted the study of sodium-, potassium-, and aluminum-ion batteries, which have the distinct advantage of abundant resources. Graphene materials as electrodes, on the one hand, can actively take part in the electrochemical reactions. On the other hand, they can act as conductive additives to improve kinetics and as buffers to support the structural integrity of the electrodes. In this Review, we discuss the effects of graphene on electrochemical performance of the electrodes in the three battery systems, with emphasis on the general structural design principles and underlying mechanisms which enable the performance improvement. We elucidate the benefits of the graphene materials and highlight the examples of tailored nanostructures that create high-energy-density, fast-charging, and long-lasting performance. We end with an outlook of existing challenges and future opportunities.