Anodes set the lower voltage limit, the lithium/sodium/zinc inventory, and the cycle-life ceiling of every cell you build. This collection covers the active materials and pre-formed metal electrodes researchers actually swap in and out when benchmarking lithium-ion, sodium-ion, zinc-ion, and aluminum-ion chemistries — from carbon powders to alkali-metal foils to alloy chips.
Carbon anodes
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Graphite (high tap density) — the workhorse Li-ion anode; spheronized natural graphite for high volumetric capacity and dense coatings.
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Hard carbon — non-graphitizable, disordered carbon with expanded interlayer spacing and micropores; the leading commercial Na-ion anode via the adsorption / intercalation / pore-filling mechanism.
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Soft carbon — graphitizable, turbostratic carbon used in Na-ion cells where a sloping voltage profile and moderate capacity are acceptable.
Silicon and oxide anodes
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Silicon micropowder and Si/C composites — high-capacity Li-ion anodes that trade large volumetric expansion for capacities far above graphite; carbon scaffolds buffer the strain.
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Lithium titanate (Li4Ti5O12) — a spinel-structured zero-strain anode operating around 1.55 V vs Li/Li+, valued for safety, rate capability, and long cycle life rather than energy density.
Alkali-metal and metal anodes
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Lithium-coated copper foil — ultrathin Li on Cu current collector for prelithiation and Li-metal cell builds.
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Lithium alloy chips (Li-B, Li-Si, Li-In, Li-Sn, Li-Zn, Li-Mg, Li-Al) — host-stabilized lithium for dendrite-mitigated metal anodes.
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Sodium foil — counter-electrode for half-cell screening of Na-ion cathodes and a building block for Na-metal and anode-free prototypes.
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Zinc foil and zinc-coated copper foil — substrates and pre-formed electrodes for aqueous Zn-ion cells, including carbon-interlayer designs aimed at suppressing dendrites.
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Aluminum electrodes (disc, sheet, roll) — Al metal anodes for Al-ion battery research, supplied in coin-cell discs and pouch-cell formats.
If you are screening new Na-ion cathodes, start with hard carbon or sodium foil as your counter-electrode. For Li-ion energy-density work, move from graphite to Si/C composites or Li-metal foils; for safety-first or fast-charge cells, see lithium titanate. For aqueous and post-lithium chemistries, browse the zinc and aluminum electrode formats. Pair any of these with matching Cathodes, Electrolytes, Separators, and Current Collectors to complete your cell.
