Li-Compound Anodes: A Classification for High-Performance Li-Ion Battery Anodes

Four main anode types are generally considered as typical anodes for Li-ion batteries (LIBs): Li-metal, carbon-based, alloy-based, and oxide-based anodes. Although they exhibit satisfactory electrochemical performance as LIB anodes, they cannot simultaneously satisfy all key requirements for LIB anodes: high reversible capacity, high initial Coulombic efficiency (ICE), long cycle life, fast rate capability, structural stability, and no safety concerns. Here, we suggest Li-compound anodes as a promising class of high-performance LIB anodes. Three binary (LiSn, Li2Sb, and LiBi) and three ternary (Li2ZnSb, Li5GeP3, and Li5SnP3) Li compounds were introduced as Li-compound anodes. LiSn and Li5SnP3 were selected and further modified into their nanocomposites by solid-state synthetic routes using carbon sources for high-performance LIB anodes. The Li-compound nanocomposite anodes exhibited excellent performance and simultaneously fulfilled all the key requirements for high-performance LIB anodes. Therefore, Li-compound anodes are expected to be a promising and innovative category of high-performance LIB anodes.