Applications of Carbon-Based Materials in Battery Anodes: Classification, Preparation Methods and Comparisons of Electrochemical Performances

Batteries have become indispensable in the modern energy storage field. However, the performance of current lithium-ion batteries is largely limited by the anode materials of the batteries. Graphite is most commonly used and most stable, but it has limited theoretical capacity and insufficient charging capability. To solve this problem, graphene and hard carbon are receiving increasing attention from research and experiments for becoming the alternative carbon-based anode materials. At the same time, carbon nanotubes are mainly applied into conductive frameworks, and enhance the performances of batteries. Each of these materials has its own advantages and disadvantages. Graphene achieves a balance between stability and properties, hard carbon is conducive to ion storage, and carbon nanotubes have the best conductivity and mechanical properties. This review summarizes the classification and development of carbon-based anode materials, describes the preparation methods of these materials: temperature-variable aerobic calcination, chemical vapor deposition, and pyrolysis. This emphasizes how different processing methods will affect various electrochemical properties. However, each material also has unavoidable drawbacks, such as cost, cycle stability, and environmental issues. In conclusion, a reasonable design that combines optimized synthesis, composite structures, and sustainable methods is crucial for promoting carbon electrodes towards high-performance and scalable energy storage systems.