Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have become the preferred battery system for portable electronic devices and transportation equipment due to their high specific energy, good cycling performance, low self-discharge, and absence of memory effect. However, excessively low ambient temperatures will seriously affect the performance of LIBs, which are almost incapable of discharging at −40~−60 °C. There are many factors affecting the low-temperature performance of LIBs, and one of the most important is the electrode material. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop electrode materials or modify existing materials in order to obtain excellent low-temperature LIB performance. A carbon-based anode is one candidate for use in LIBs. In recent years, it has been found that the diffusion coefficient of lithium ion in graphite anodes decreases more obviously at low temperatures, which is an important factor limiting its low-temperature performance. However, the structure of amorphous carbon materials is complex; they have good ionic diffusion properties, and their grain size, specific surface area, layer spacing, structural defects, surface functional groups, and doping elements may have a greater impact on their low-temperature performance. In this work, the low-temperature performance of LIBs was achieved by modifying the carbon-based material from the perspectives of electronic modulation and structural engineering.

To address the synergistic degradation mechanisms in engineering service environments, we propose a boron microalloying strategy to enhance the multifunctional surface performance of AlCoCrFeNiMo-based high-entropy alloys. AlCoCrFeNiMoTiBx coatings (x = 0, 0.5, 1, and 1.5) were fabricated on Q235 steel substrates using laser cladding. The microstructure of the coatings was characterized using scanning electron microscope (SEM) and energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS), while their wear and corrosion resistance were evaluated through tribological and electrochemical tests. The key findings indicate that boron addition preserves the original body-centered cubic (BCC) and σ phases in the coating while promoting the in situ formation of TiB₂, leading to lattice distortion. With increasing B content, the BCC phase becomes refined, and both the fraction and size of TiB₂ particles increase. Boron incorporation improves the coating’s microhardness and wear resistance, with the highest wear resistance achieved at x = 1, where abrasive and oxidative wear predominate. At lower content (x = 0.5), B enhances the stability of the passive film and thereby improves corrosion resistance. In contrast, excessive formation of large TiB₂ particles introduces defects into the passive film, accelerating its degradation.