Challenges and strategies of lithium-ion mass transfer in natural graphite anode

Natural graphite (NG) with ordered carbon layers has the advantage of a green and low-cost preparation process, which makes it a suitable candidate for lithium-ion battery (LIB) materials in the field of energy storage. However, the co-embedding of solvated lithium ions (Li+) and the slow mass transfer rate of Li+ in NG anodes result in poor cycle life and low-rate performance, severely restricting their application in large-scale energy storage and power batteries. Remarkable modification methods of NG anodes have been discussed in literature, but most of them ignored the mass transfer of Li+ in NG anodes. This review highlights the effect of Li+ mass transfer on the stability of carbon layers and the performance under low-temperature and rapid-charge conditions and summarizes some potential methods to improve the Li+ mass transfer in graphite interfaces and bulk phases to provide a new perspective on the development of NG anodes.