The demand for high performance lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) is increasing due to widespread use of portable devices and electric vehicles. Silicon (Si) is one of the most attractive candidate anode materials for next generation LIBs. However, the high-volume change (>300%) during lithium ion alloying/de-alloying leads to poor cycle life. When Si is used as the anode, conductive carbon is needed to provide the necessary conductivity. However, the traditional carbon coating method could not overcome the challenges of pulverization and unstable Solid Electrolyte Interphase (SEI) layer during long-term cycling. Since 2010, Si/Graphene composites have been vigorously studied in hopes of providing a material with better cycling performance. This paper reviews current progress of Si/Graphene nanocomposites in LIBs. Different fabrication methods have been studied to synthesize Si/Graphene nanocomposites with promising electrochemical performances. Graphene plays a key enabling role in Si/Graphene anodes. However, the desired properties of graphene for this application have not been systematically studied and understood. Further systematic investigation of the desired graphene properties is suggested to better control the Si/Graphene anode performance.

The controllable synthesis of TiO₂ nanostructures with a conformal and ultrathin graphitic carbon coating is critically desirable for new anode material development for Li-ion batteries.

Si/Graphene nanoparticles represent attractive alternative anode materials for Lithium-ion batteries. Graphene nanosheets with different properties, including surface area, defect distance, and charge-transfer resistance, were fabricated and characterised in Si/Graphene nanocomposites formed by static-electric self-assembly then by an in-situ reduction process. Graphene nanosheets that exhibited the highest surface area, the shortest defect distance, and the lowest charge-transfer resistance demonstrated the best overall electrochemical performance, with a high initial discharge capacity of 2692 mAh g⁻¹, good cycling performance of 1135 mAh g⁻¹, at the 200th cycle at the current rate of 0.5 C. This work shows the preferable graphene quality for Si/Graphene nanocomposite anode and provides insights into the design of graphene nanocomposite electrodes, regardless of the graphene synthesis method.

PtRu bimetallic nanoparticles were successfully synthesized on polyethyleneimine‐ (PEI‐) functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) via an effective and facile polyol reduction approach. Noncovalent surface modification of MWCNTs with PEI was confirmed by FTIR and zeta potential measurements. The morphology, crystalline structure, and composition of the hybrid material were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X‐ray powder diffraction (XRD), and energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (EDX), respectively. According to SEM and TEM observations, PtRu nanoparticles with narrow size distribution were homogeneously deposited on PEI‐MWCNTs. Cyclic voltammetry tests demonstrated that the as‐prepared PtRu/PEI‐MWCNTs nanocomposite had a large electrochemical surface area and exhibited enhanced electrocatalytic activity towards methanol oxidation in comparison with oxidized MWCNTs as catalyst support. PEI‐functionalized CNTs, as useful building blocks for the assembly of Pt‐based electrocatalyst, may have great potential for applications such as direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC).