Recent advances in the application of high-entropy materials in lithium-based anodes

Lithium-ion batteries constitute the cornerstone of modern energy storage. However, commercial graphite anodes are increasingly limited by their theoretical capacity and energy density. Although high-capacity alternatives such as silicon and transition metal oxides have been explored, their practical implementation remains severely bottlenecked by structural instability. High-entropy materials (HEMs) have emerged as promising candidates capable of transcending these conventional limitations. Governed by the four fundamental core effects, HEMs exhibit unique synergistic attributes, including enhanced lattice resilience and superior electrochemical kinetics, that surpass those of conventional binary or ternary counterparts. This review systematically evaluates recent progress in HEM-based anodes for lithium storage, categorizing high-entropy alloys, oxides, and burgeoning derivatives, including sulfides and phosphides. We further dissect the multifaceted storage mechanisms and the practical hurdles facing the predominant high-entropy oxide anodes. Finally, we offer forward-looking perspectives on the field, emphasizing the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) for accelerated material discovery and the pathways toward industrial-scale application.