Glass anodes for lithium ion batteries: Insight from the structural evolution during discharging/charging

Abstract Glasses are promising anode materials for Li‐ion batteries (LIBs) owing to their unique open network structures and the absence of grain boundaries. Upon discharging/charging, both the capacity and cycle life of the glass anodes can be affected through their structural evolutions. This review article highlights the recent research advances in improving and understanding the electrochemical performances of various types of glass anodes. Both the SnO‐ and GeO ₂ ‐based glass anodes suffer from the high initial capacity loss and short cycle life. The origin of the first‐cycle irreversible capacity loss is discussed primarily from the structural evolution with cycles, that is, forming metallic Sn/Ge in the glass matrix. Recently, significant breakthroughs have been achieved in enhancing cycling stability and capacity of the anode materials by means of the disorder‐order engineering with respect to the V ₂ O ₅ –TeO ₂ glass systems. In addition, the most recent advances in the applications of dual‐phase glass anodes in LiBs are reviewed. This article gives an overview of the applications of the glass anodes, as well as deals with the structural factors affecting their electrochemical performances. A deeper understanding of these factors will enable further steps toward improvement and application of the glass anodes for LIBs.