Recent Developments of Two-Dimensional Anode Materials and Their Composites in Lithium-Ion Batteries

Current mature commercial anode materials of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), such as graphite and Li4Ti5O12, have been unable to meet the rapidly growing demand for high storage capacity and ultrafast charging. In recent years, many two-dimensional (2D) materials, including graphene, transition metal dichalcogenides, transition metal oxides, transition metal carbides and nitrides, and monoelemental materials, have been used as anode materials because of their large specific surface areas, numerous active sites, and outstanding transport rate of lithium ions. On the basis of the research status in recent years, in this review, we introduce the structures and characteristics of these 2D nanomaterials. Then, the advantages and disadvantages of these 2D materials in LIBs are compared. The defects of 2D materials can be improved by compositing them with other materials, and the electrochemical properties of 2D materials can be improved. Furthermore, the prospects and development of 2D materials in flexible LIBs are evaluated and strategies to overcome the difficulties are proposed.