Rapid Lithium Diffusion in Order@Disorder Pathways for Fast-Charging Graphite Anodes

The use of graphite anode renders practical lithium-ion batteries for effective energy storage. However, graphite anode is the bottleneck to achieve the fast charging of a battery, ascribed to its low operating potential and corresponding incidental lithium plating. Herein the principle of a thin nanoscale layer on the graphite surface to improve charging capability is investigated by applying a three-electrode device to precisely record the working behavior. The Li⁺ diffusion rate is significantly improved by coating a nanoscale turbostratic carbon layer, in which abundant active sites and additional fast Li⁺ diffusion pathways at the basal-plane side of graphite sheets render small polarization in a working battery. This fresh understanding enriches the fundamental insights into enhancing the rate performance and facilitating the practical applications of graphite in fast-charging batteries.