State-of-the-Art Research and Applications of Carbon Foam Composite Materials as Electrodes for High-Capacity Lithium Batteries

The development of advanced electrode materials for next-generation rechargeable lithium batteries with high specific capacity and energy density and long life is promising to meet the demand for electric vehicles and portable devices. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the recent progress on foam-like carbon composite materials as high-performance electrode materials, covering the methodology of synthesizing carbon foams (CFs) and graphene foams (GFs), the applications of CF- and GF-based composite materials, and their electrochemical performance for the next-generation Li batteries. The CFs from different precursors (coals, polymers, and biomass) and proper preparations are compared in terms of their synthesis methods, properties, structural characteristics, and performance. Recently, the research of CF-based composite materials are mainly focused on Li-ion batteries (LIBs) and Li–S batteries (LSBs). The synergetic effects between carbon frameworks and the active materials are overviewed to illustrate the merits that CFs provide to the integrated electrode materials. In the CF- and GF-based composite materials as the anode materials for LIBs, the carbon matrix with high electrical conductivity can provide the hierarchical pore structures, which allow for better transport of Li ions and storage of electrons and accommodate the expansion of the active components, while the composite materials allow for the facilitation of the high theoretical capacity of the active materials that are supported on the three-dimensional interconnected carbon matrix. The CF- and GF-based composite materials can also be applied as cathode materials for LSBs to address the limitations of isolated sulfur nature and “shuttle effect”. The mesoporous foam structure could increase the amount of sulfur loading and absorb water-soluble polysulfide during charging and discharging processes. In the meantime, the three-dimensional CFs and GFs could promise the possibility of self-supporting electrode materials without adding binders. Through the extensive literature review, some technical challenges of CF and GF composite materials for lithium-based batteries are identified and future research needs are addressed. In particular, CF/GF composite materials from coal, coal-based precursors, and biomass and their applications in high-performance batteries are worthy of extensive future research. The significant progress has been achieved on the development of CF- and GF-based comp